


Life in a Kingdom that's Fallen

by ElmiDol



Series: Sir General [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Force Bond, Polyamorous Asexual Kylo Ren, Separation from Children, TFA Compliant, Tag As I Go, Triplets, Uses TLJ Characters and Elements but not plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2019-10-09 02:54:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17398664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElmiDol/pseuds/ElmiDol
Summary: The three of you--Hux, Kylo, and you--had already been making arrangements to dethrone Snoke. Following the destruction of Starkiller Base, however, it quickly becomes clear that things will not be proceeding as you had thought. Ren will receive training, yet so will your children. Or so the Supreme Leader says. General Hux's plans to use the Resistance as a weapon against the Snoke becomes all the more important.





	1. The End is the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: There will be no side ships among the main sequel trilogy characters. Thank you, everyone, for replying. It's much appreciated!

 

 

The End is the Beginning 

 

The end of the era began with the discovery of a map leading to Skywalker, and the firing of the weapon known as Starkiller Base. The destruction of the entire Hosnian system had rendered you breathless. It was a victory for the First Order against the New Republic. Yet the cost was more than you had allowed yourself to previously take stock of. But these deaths were not the last in that dying era. The Resistance paid the First Order in kind; a stormtrooper that had defected joined with a Jakku scavenger, and their alliance had resulted in the Resistance’s ability to destroy Starkiller Base. General Armitage Hux placed the blame on Kylo Ren’s shoulders as well. By discovering Force sensitivity within the young woman from Jakku, Kylo had allowed himself to grow distracted. Less lives were lost on Starkiller than in all of Hosnian Prime. You tallied them together, marking how many were sacrificed in the war, but took the losses of First Order personnel personally. And your children, all three of them, had wailed during both events. Their Force sensitivity allowed them to _feel_ the deaths. It added a new layer to the war. The end of the era that piqued Supreme Leader Snoke’s interest—he felt the awakening in Rae, Bosileon, and Maigyn as assuredly as he had felt the awakening in the former scavenger known as Rey.

 

You doubted anyone had missed the destruction of the Hosnian system. The television in your home was set to a news station so that you could compare First Order information to what the media was releasing. How you would proceed on one of your main projects would be determined by the severity of the bias and the amount of discrepancies present. Captain Phasma had accepted your help on ensuring one of the exercises she wanted for her stormtroopers was properly put into place. Since then, however, you had returned to assisting with rewriting Academy courses; ensuring that everything was up-to-date was a never-ending task given the nature of the galaxy.

 

The sky on the image in the screen turned red. You stood straighter, your hand moving to the side as you blindly reached for your datapad, the one where you would receive any important updates from the First Order. The signal was lost completely—the triplets, who had been down for a nap in the other room, began to cry. The high-pitched shrieks snapped you to attention. You flung aside the datapad by accident, knocking it to the floor in your pursuit of checking on your children.

 

Their diapers did not need to be changed, and not one of them was hungry. It was not until the speaker system on the base issued an announcement that you could hear over the triplet’s cries that you put two and two together. They had felt all of those lives end.

 

Hours later, a repetition, although this time your two daughters and your son could not be consoled. Neither could you at first at the sound of the following announcement. Starkiller destroyed. It was hours before you were given details. Over a day—a sleepless night—before you learned that Kylo Ren and General Hux had managed to escape. Captain Phasma was missing. People you had worked with dead. The base on which you had first met the father of your children gone.

 

That should have marked the beginning of your recovery period. Yet with the knowledge that a new Force user, one who belonged to the Resistance, was locating Skywalker, Supreme Leader Snoke refused to become complacent. He chose to change tactics.

 

You had not expected it. The front door opening without a knock. One pair of red armored guards filing into your home. Behind them was one of your superior officers. With him, six stormtroopers, each with their blasters in hand. Your mind told you repeatedly that this wasn’t supposed to happen; this was something the Jedi of old had done—robbed parents of their children due to the child’s Force capabilities. If Snoke wanted your children trained, he had only to summon you. The presence of those weapons bespoke the truth; you had been deluding yourself.

 

“Supreme Leader will not chance Skywalker locating this base because he senses the three.” Your mind tried to process the words that your superior was saying. There had been no direct contact from General Hux; you wanted to hear his voice, and now to ask him what was happening even though a part of you knew _exactly_ what was going on. “You do not yet have the clearance for where they are to be relocated.” Though he tried to remain professional, you could hear sympathy in his voice. But sympathy did _nothing_.

 

Your stomach roiled with acid, and your mind attempted to sort through all the weapons within your home. The six stormtroopers did not twitch. Their fingers were ready to slide against those triggers. The two praetorian guards alone would have been enough to stop you. The elite guard of the Supreme Leader. In different circumstances, you might have been put at ease to know such beings were protecting your children. To have them take the triplets away from you?

 

“I—”

 

Your superior reminded you that you were not married to the General. You had no room to demand anything here, not even to speak to Hux before the children were taken. Afterwards, when you were all alone, you could try. Even then, the red haired man that you cared deeply for would be at the beck and call of Snoke. There was always the chance that you would not get through to him. The churning refused to cease no matter how many times you swallowed. You helplessly shook your head.

 

The officer in front of you shifted forward. It was not within regulations, the way he placed his hands on your upper arms. This was something human. Compassionate. Many other officers would have condemned him for his actions, while more would have understood. The enemy was not attacking you right now, not directly. Your peers would have been rendered speechless to know that your children were being taken from you by the orders of the Supreme Leader.

 

Rae stared in wonder up at the first praetorian guard that stepped forward. She did not squirm in his arms as Maigyn did. Her sister settled when they were placed together. You were grateful that they did not fight, as you did not know what would happen to them if they had. Bosileon gripped the hand of the other guard. He struggled to pull the armored hand into his mouth, something he had been doing with you more recently.

 

Trembling, you started to step forward. Your superior tucked you backwards, your back hitting against his chest. The stormtroopers had raised their weapons, however kept their fingers off the triggers. They were prepared to shoot you, you reminded yourself. Did that even matter though? Your children were being taken from you.

 

“Please.” It would have made you feel low in a different setting to be forced to beg like this. You would do anything for your children. “Please…”

 

The officer holding onto you spoke low. His voice in your ear, telling you how much the loss of Starkiller had truly cost. Not the price in credits, but in blood. A stormtrooper turned traitor had handed over valuable information to the Resistance, which had resulted in them being able to locate and destroy Starkiller. Who knew what else your enemies had learned? The map to Skywalker was not completed yet for the First Order either, which meant that they could not intercept the Resistance from going to the Jedi. They would go to the man who was responsible for the Empire’s destruction.

 

With his return, your children would not be safe. There would be a way for you to return to them; he would start on the paperwork himself. With all the work you had done to assist in improving educational aspects of the First Order, there was no reason that a change could not be made. You simply had to wait.

 

Waiting wasn’t simple. You squeezed your eyes closed as the praetorian guards exited your home and took your three children out of sight. Two of the stormtroopers left first. Then another two. The final pair exited your home only when your superior relinquished his hold and left you where you stood. You crumpled down to the ground as the door cut off your view of the outside.

 

The destruction of Hosnian Prime had caused you to hold your breath. The loss of Starkiller had made you forget to breathe at all. This? You didn’t _want_ to breathe. You couldn’t. It hurt. It hurt you more to breathe, to drag in those breaths that transformed into a sob, than to let your lungs burn with want.

 

It was that you did not know a means of returning to your children. The First Order officers had let this happen. The Knights of Ren would obey Snoke just as much. What allies did you have? _Bu’ay_ , you thought without registering the name. It repeated four times before you gave a nod. What could she even do? To expose her this early in the plan would not help you. You needed to keep her away for the time being. A different method. What did you have that Supreme Leader Snoke would want, aside from your children?

 

You had assisted in re-writing several courses for the Academy. That meant you had access to those files, to the system. You would back up everything you had done on a separate disc then plant a virus, one that would eat through the system without jeopardizing lives. You pinched the bridge of your nose. _No_. They would brand you a traitor, use the Force to extract the information from your mind to repair their systems, and kill you.

 

Therein lay the issue. Any plan that you would capable of conceiving ended in your death, or the deaths of your comrades. You would not be like the traitors who had attempted to assassinate both you and your children for the sake of credits. You would not betray the First Order, though it had, in a very important way, betrayed you first.

 

_No. That’s Snoke’s betrayal. Armitage wouldn’t do that. Kylo wouldn’t take my children from me either. He would have brought me along._

 

You forced yourself to stand and walk to the nursery. Your arms dangled at your sides. The emptiness of the room prevented you from entering. No toys on the floor. The nanny droid had cleaned already, and it was in power-down mode in the corner as it recharged.

 

A chime, which at first you mistook for the droid. It repeated, and you realized that it was an incoming transmission. You turned sharply on your heel then rushed for the living room where all your devices remained. Dropped down to your knees, slammed your hand on the receiver. A blue image flickered into view. You had expected General Hux’s face, had hoped for it. Instead you found yourself addressing someone else. Someone whose face was cut open, the gaping wound cauterized.

 

“He took them.” Those were the words that you would have spoken to the ginger general if he had called you. Now you said them to Kylo Ren, and the man did not so much as blink. This was not news to him. He was already aware of whatever it was Supreme Leader Snoke planned for your children. “Why am I still here?” The tone you used would have been cause enough to be disciplined. The Force user did not blink. He averted his gaze, which exposed more of his wound to you. You flinched. How many others sported such injuries? General Hux was said to have _survived_ , but at what cost? You were too afraid to ask. “Why can’t I be with them?”

 

“Parental bonds can be an impediment.” He sounded haunted as he said that. Broken. This was not the Kylo Ren you had known onboard the _Finalizer_ or on Starkiller. “The Supreme Leader will ensure the bond with him is strongest.”

 

You felt the last ounce of your strength leave. While you did not doubt that Skywalker would be able to locate your children, you felt that you had already known the reason you hadn’t been allowed to go with them.

 

“I could have taught her the ways in the Force.”

 

The girl who had assisted in the destruction of Starkiller. You wondered what Ren felt for her to have said that. Was it due to her abilities, or did they have a history? You wanted answers, because she was part of the reason Bosileon, Maigyn, and Rae were not there with you.

 

“Teach _them_ then. Please.” Kylo Ren nodded without hesitation. This was precisely why he had called. He wanted to know if your feelings on the matter had changed given the circumstances. They had not. You would find a way to your children, however you knew that Kylo would care for them. Snoke would not. The Supreme Leader viewed them as tools. They were too young for this; they should not have been caught up in this war. The kriffing map to Skywalker had ruined _everything_. “I don’t blame you for this.”

 

“Hux does.” Bitterness crept into his voice. His eyes narrowed, and you glimpsed a torrent of emotions surging inside of him. Something from Starkiller, something beyond the girl, had wounded him. “When you read the report, you may as well.” The blue-tinted Kylo leaned so that his image distorted. A _beep_. The report sent to you. “I will train them well.”

 

“And protect them.”

 

His mouth shifted. It was the closest to pouting or crying that you had ever seen him. “I have the strength for that much.” Relief flooded through you. You reassured him that he was not to blame, not for this. Supreme Leader Snoke had no excuse for taking your children; or that was all he had. He had been looking for a means of taking your children away from you. It would have happened at a later time perhaps. Kylo Ren visibly relaxed, your words calming him. “At night, when you close your eyes, they will reach out to you.” You furrowed your brow. “I’ll teach them.”

 

Your bottom lip quivered. The first tears fell before the transmission cut out, which meant that he had seen them. His face had warped in your vision, the wetness distorting him, and so you did not know how he had reacted. If he had reacted at all. You cupped a hand over your mouth. How were you to contact General Hux? You would have to read the report beforehand. The report that would explain why the man you loved blamed the man who would train your children for their absence in your life. For the destruction of Starkiller.

 

You had spent so much time adjusting courses for the Academy that you had learned the lesson: there are many contributing factors to a single failure. A slight adjustment here can rip open a flaw there. Kylo may have done something that led to this outcome, however he was not the sole cause. You opened the file, and had your suspicions confirmed. You also discovered that the man who had contacted you had included a means for you to return to your children. It would take time, but it was a clear path.


	2. It's a Sore Thumb

It’s a Sore Thumb

 

There were countless materialistic objects that you had acquired during your stay on this base. The majority of them belonged to your children, and many of those were for educational or developmental purposes. You ignored every one of those things. Sentimentality, however, had you grabbing a small, pocket-sized doll for each of them. These tiny animals had not been given to them formally, not until they were older. Along with those you tucked a picture of your triplets into your bag. Encrypted datapads and comms. Nothing that included a tracking device, however. You carefully surveyed each and every object, going so far as to shut down the nannydroid entirely to keep it from having a record of your movements. You had to be fast. Kylo Ren had ensured you would receive passage on a First Order transport shuttle, although from there you would be mostly on your own. This meant checking how many credits you had to your name, what weapons you possessed, anything of use.

 

You were not being made to leave the First Order, although the base would remain behind. The Force user had given you the name of one of the agents he had worked with on a previous occasion. Someone who could be trusted, and who would assist you in locating at least one of three rumored Sith Holocron. If you could prove yourself useful in furthering Snoke’s arsenal when it came to the Force, in proving that you would not grow sloppy if your children’s lives were at stake, and if you were able to show the Supreme Leader that you would continue working for him, he would grant you clearance to the base or ship that he had your children taken to.

 

Yet you were no idiot. You knew that even once you were there, your access to them would be limited. That was one of the reasons that Kylo had chosen carefully his words. Parental bonds are an impediment. That did not only apply to you; it applied to General Hux as well. Even while he was present with the triplets, he would be kept away from them. Nothing sentimental.

 

It made you hate the Supreme Leader.

 

You swallowed down that hatred with the knowledge that it would expend your much needed energy. One of the final tasks you did in preparation of departing was to transfer the clearance codes that your superior had forwarded to you. Without them, the contact would refuse you passage. All of the survival skills that had been taught to you by both Kylo Ren and General Hux would be put to use. If you were lucky, you would also pick up knowledge in regards to the Force. That would be another obstacle that Supreme Leader Snoke could not present before you then; ignorance.

 

Hunger was the furthest thing from your mind. Still, you knew it wise to grab a ration bar that also contained stomach-soothing properties. The only way you would succeed on this mission to take back your children was to not be stupid or stubborn in the wrong ways.

 

Officer Lynnia was not at home, although her husband and children were from what you could tell. That meant they had likely seen the praetorian guards carting away Bosileon, Rae, and Maigyn. It did not offend you that no one had come to check on you. You preferred to be ignored, and hoped this meant that they were not watching you. You wanted leave behind as few witnesses as possible. Less questions meant a smaller risk of one of your superiors intercepting you. This was not official First Order business, or at least nothing you had been formally assigned to by Snoke.

 

To avoid further suspicion, you dressed in uniform; there were spare clothes in your bag that you would change into to be less conspicuous before you met with the contact. That bag would draw a bit of attention, albeit only momentarily from those not in the loop in terms of your situation. Others might think you were defecting. Worse, that you had been discharged. Your nostrils flared a bit as you breathily snorted. The anger within you swirled. It snatched at the energy in your body, and you exhaled through pursed lips while reminding yourself you had to stay focused.

 

Announcements rang over the loudspeakers. Updates were provided, both in terms of Starkiller Base and things pertaining solely to your current duty station. You tuned out everything that was said. As far as you were concerned, it did not apply to you.

 

There were personnel running track; a PT test was coming up, one that you were exempt from due to your previous scores. Your eyes darted to the many bodies, the sea of faces. Some of the officers were people that you recognized. Others were either strangers to you or unrecognizable outside of standard uniform. You could not afford to do that either _ — _ base familiarity on attire alone. There was no more clear path as to who was your friend and who was your foe. Any one of those officers right there could very well swerve away from the track in favor of pursuing you. If they had blasters, they might even catch you.

 

That was a grim thought.

 

You faced straight ahead. Staring for too long would also draw attention. It was best to act naturally.

 

The transport shuttle that you were cleared to board was one of seven in the process of being prepared. You guessed that at least two of them would house personnel that would assist the evacuees from Starkiller. It hit you again how many people had lost their lives. You wanted to say that this was not what you had signed up for, but the truth was that, in many ways, you had. You had signed on knowing that the First Order would engage in war with the New Republic, that government body that ignored the plights of many Outer Rim worlds while patting themselves on the backs for the  _ good _ they were able to publicize via the media. You did not agree with all of the First Order’s methods either; Hosnian Prime had been a great cost, and it made you ill to truly think about it.

 

The one thing you could say for certain that you hadn’t signed on for was your children being taken away from you. Especially not how it had gone down.

 

You flashed your electronic ID to the officer waiting at the ramp of the shuttle. He gave you a nod, stepped aside, and informed you that departure would take place shortly. The female pilot looked over her shoulder with a quick glance prior to returning her attention to the console in front of her.

 

After the ramp lifted, the lights dimmed, and you began to breathe in cool, recirculated air. All systems were being re-checked. There were other shuttles ahead of yours on takeoff priority. It gave you a chance to close your eyes and picture the faces of your three children. To agonize over the emptiness that you felt as you desperately clung to Kylo Ren’s promise that he would teach them to reach out to you. Except they were so young, and it would not be anything that would happen overnight.

 

The engine roared to life, prompting you to reopen your eyes. It would be a long ride if you sat there doing nothing. You had to keep your mind preoccupied with something more. Not that anything could truly take your mind off of your children.

 

You pulled out one of your datapads, bringing up a report. You read the same line seven times, and absorbed nothing. Another female officer unlatched her restraints then cautiously moved over to where you were seated. She was what others would describe as mousy. No one had paid her much attention when she had made the seat change. She pulled out a datapad of her own. Her actions were easily overlooked, you had to give her credit for that. Aside from the seat change, everything she did was so commonplace. And she spoke to you with the pretense of needing a second pair of eyes for an essay _ — _ if you didn’t mind looking, that is. You held in your reaction, offering a curt nod as your gaze landed on the information displayed.

 

Kylo Ren did not often interact with officers. She would have been one of the  _ last _ people you would guess that he had had contact with, but there it was. Proof via an encrypted message from the Force user detailing mutuals of the contact you would be meeting; most important of all were those mutuals that would sell you out for their own agenda. Not all of the followers of Bu’ay’s father had been dealt with. There were allies off-planet that held a grudge, that blamed you for the death of their late patriarch.

 

On top of that, your bloodline clearly produced Force-sensitive offspring. You had no powers of your own, but that did not stop one from attempting to use you as breeding stock. The ration bar you had eaten threatened to rise. There it was again; a reason you had been outraged with the New Republic’s senatorial arguments that got them nowhere. Slavery was not so easily overlooked as it had been in the Empire, but it  _ did _ exist. It likely always would to some extent. That was a sad fact of life. You just wanted the government in charge to have a zero tolerance policy on it. To actually  _ do  _ something to put an end to it whenever it was brought to their attention.

 

“I’m not sure about this,” you said, tapping the very tip of your forefinger to one of the names. A spice dealer. You inwardly cringed at that, hating another layer of reality presented to you. There were many spices that had medicinal properties. Somehow you doubted that this particular individual dealt in those. The other officer wrinkled her nose and pushed her lips forward. Her fingers tapped on various portions of the screen. More information on the spice dealer opened on the display. Family ties to one of the superior officers of the First Order.

 

Maker, you wanted to roll your eyes at that. Family should not be used as a shield, not in a situation such as this. How many people had overdosed with the spice? Granted, yes, they very likely would have sought it elsewhere. That wasn’t the point.

 

“That looks better.” It was the only thing you could think of to say that would let her know you were satisfied with the amount of information. Leaving it up too long on the screen increased the probability of another seeing what was truly being discussed.

 

The jump to hyperspace was felt more easily onboard this transport shuttle when compared with the  _ Finalizer _ . Your stomach lurched along with it. After regaining your composure, you began to make abbreviated notes to help you remember what you had read. Notes that most others would fail to understand on the off chance that they worked through the passcode that generally served as a lock for the device. Once finished with this, you tucked your hand into your bag to feel the comm device that you had brought. You still had yet to hear from General Hux, and you were nervous to contact him yourself. He could not be in a position to answer you. Or choose to not. Worse, if he did and then was forced to order you back? At that point you would be officially going against direct orders. Because you wouldn’t turn back. There was far too much at risk for you to do that.

 

You started to turn in your seat to check on your son and daughters. The fresh pang of pain that felt like a stab to the heart. You allowed your head to hit the wall behind you, although not too loud to where others would start staring. You couldn’t have their eyes on you like that. It would make you crumple. Break the final layers of your resolve to not cry.

 

Closing your eyes again, you explored the emptiness that you felt. Wondered how it would feel after the three did learn to reach out with the Force. Would it be warm? Would you be able to hear their tiny voices, those little coos and gurgles and the beginnings of syllables that were, for now, nonsensical?

 

The mousy officer did not speak to you again before the shuttle landed. You hadn’t even caught her name, which might have been safer. She had done her part in helping you, and you did not wish her to find trouble because of those actions. The transport touched down on a colonized moon. It was not an official First Order base, which meant that there were only a handful of facilities devoted to the military organization. You went to one of those in order to change out of your uniform. Then came the debate of taking it with you or leaving it behind. It was during this time that the officer made her second appearance. You left the uniform with her, although kept your credentials and clearance cylinders as instructed.

 

There was no exchange of contact information nor names. It kept things simple for you. You thanked her as you bid her farewell then headed in the direction of the civilian shipyard. There were stormtroopers patrolling even in that area. The First Order was  _ not _ going to chance the Resistance infiltrating them so easily.

 

Their presence, which would not have unnerved you in the past, brought back the memory of the six armored ‘troopers that had entered your home. Fingers ready near the triggers. You drew your limbs closer to your body, ducked your head, and picked up your pace. Immediately you felt eyes on you. One stormtrooper looked away a second later though. But you had not lost your audience entirely. It was difficult to act normal, like nothing was wrong, when you felt as though your entire world was falling apart. Everything was so wrong. Kylo Ren may have lended you a hand, but right then you still felt like you had nobody. There wasn’t anyone physically present with you to help you through this. You didn’t even know what Armitage thought of it.

 

All of those times you had told one another that you cared for the other, that you  _ loved _ each other… It hurt that he hadn’t thought to send you even a one-sentence message. An  _ I’m okay. _ Anything at all. That was just it; maybe you were being stubborn in not contacting him first because of that. You also feared that you would be unfair to him. That you would throw the accusation: what does it matter to  _ you _ that they were taken away from me;  _ you _ get to be with them now. Deep down, you knew he did not want this.

 

But you could not lash out at Snoke, and people tended to hurt the ones they loved in situations like these.

 

“Ma’am?” It wasn’t standard procedure for a stormtrooper to address an officer first. You were out of uniform though, which meant the ‘trooper possibly did not know your occupation. You paused in your steps. The individual who had addressed you marched in your direction then asked for your credentials.

 

_ Kriff. _

 

You had to remind yourself that you were not doing anything illegal nor traitorous to the First Order.  _ Not yet, anyway. _ You pulled out the requested information. Instantly the stormtrooper straightened more. You felt sorry for him; he didn’t seem to know what to do now that he realized he had essentially ‘bothered’ an officer. You decided to give him an out, for both of your sakes.

 

“I wasn’t sure if these were zoned lots. Merchant versus Family vessels and the likes. I don’t want to be late over something like that.”

 

“Ah, yes.” He proceeded to point in the directions of the four different zones. It was mapped out very much as you had expected, with the exception of having a station for medical droids and droid repairs in what could roughly pass as the center. “If you need a lift, I can request _ — _ ”

 

“I’m okay, thank you,” you said, flashing a smile. Inwardly, you debated if it had been a smart thing to thank him. That was so...un-officer-like. You had not much interacted with stormtroopers outside of duty before. This ‘trooper did not appear to think anything of it. He nodded in acceptance of your manners, and headed back in the direction he had come from to again guard his post.

 

You resumed walking, your mind running through all that you knew about this contact. Half-human, former mercenary-turned-tradesman. He dealt mostly in dark artifacts and relics from the days of the Empire. This allowed him to keep the First Order up-to-date with black market trends, and Kylo Ren in the loop of anything pertaining to the Sith and Jedi legends or rumors circulating. He was married, a semi-political marriage that had served in saving his life. The exact details of this eluded you; it was something you would not mind learning more of. Except, you recalled, he hated being asked too many questions. Kylo Ren had included that bit of information in bold.

 

There were less stormtroopers away from the perimeter of the shipyard. You hadn’t known what to expect there. All of these vessels would be searched, wouldn’t they?

 

A MSE-series droid zoomed past you and sped up the ramp of one of the ships. There were people of various species and races. You tried to not stare; you were not ignorant, however since you had entered the Academy and through now, you had been in a predominately-human crowd.  _ That _ was not a view you particularly shared; it stemmed from many of the older members of the First Order having served in the Imperial military.

 

Two ships down from where you stood, you caught side of the vessel that you would be boarding. It had a rather artistic painting on its side. Your eyebrows rose. Wouldn’t that stick out like a sore thumb? You had read the basic information on the design that would mark your ship, however… Well, you had expected something more G or PG rated.

 

_ Well, kids… Mommy’s going to do what she must. _

 

That meant boarding a ship that had a painting of a Hutt in a rather compromising position with a rancor...with the words  _ Slug Harlot _ underneath. The galaxy would never cease to amaze you.


	3. People Change

People Change 

 

After a rather abrupt greeting, you were given directions to the quarters you would be sharing with another passenger. This new information had not sat well with you, however you were not in a position to complain. The _Slug Harlot_ would never have been your ship of choice as it was. You swallowed down your pride, what was left of it, and began to walk in the direction of where your bed was located. You needed a moment to think. The captain and owner of the ship had stated his desire to leave the planet as soon as possible. The First Order would be bringing in more stormtroopers to ensure a better defence. The loss of Starkiller was being felt on all First Order bases. You took a deep breath, stepped around the final corner, and stared at the transparisteel door.

 

Though it had a control panel to its left, the room was not locked. That was another new detail that had been given to you; the captain of the _Slug Harlot_ did not allow his passengers to lock him out. It prevented suspicious activity. Given his trade, you could not say that you blamed him. The black market was likely just as dangerous as the military what with space pirates and competition. You jabbed your thumb on the button.

 

 _Male roommate_ , you reminded yourself. It took you a second to rearrange your features and erase the scowl that had again threatened to form. As the door shifted open, you had succeeded. You kept from looking at the man, although in your peripheral you saw that he was human. Brown hair—dark brown, and either greasy looking or else a rush dye job. A long, tan coat and dark green scarf. He was a typical traveller. Likely a colonist, you thought. He turned his head, which allowed you to see that he wore a pair of black-framed glasses.

 

Turning your back to him, you set your belongings on the bed across from his. Instead of having a typical bunk-bed, as you had expected, there were only the two small pieces of furniture on either side of the room. Not much walking space. A closet that no doubt housed a set of drawers and space to hang up clothes. It would have to be shared. Except that you hadn’t packed enough to utilize the closet.

 

You rummaged through your belongings to pull out your datapad and comm unit. Still nothing, you noted with mounting frustration. Armitage had not yet contacted you even though—

 

The man cleared his throat. You felt your body shift, your spine curving in unison with you tilting your head, your ear up to better listen. That sound was rather familiar for reasons you could not place. How odd.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

The question alone would have been enough to receive a response from you. The voice? It had you spinning around. You stared at the man in full now. His hair was not gelled back in the style he preferred, yet it still retained a neatness. His eyes were the same color. Stars, you would recognize those eyes anywhere. The blue-green mixture that you nearly drowned in any time you stared into them. His disguise was subtle, although clearly effective since you had not recognized him immediately. Your eyebrows rose towards your hairline, and you lifted a hand to point a finger in his direction.

 

“Why aren’t you with the children?” An accusation you had not expected to fly from your mouth. General Hux frowned at you. Your eyes darted to his hair. Quick dye job indeed.

 

Armitage rose to his feet. “Supreme Leader has tasked me with retrieving an object known as a Holocron before Skywalker can obtain it. Now that the map is in the hands of the Resistance… Did Ren send you?” His hands were in constant motion. Curling into fists then flattening, curling again. They had started to do so the moment you had mentioned the children. He knew that Snoke had taken them, and he was powerless to stop him. This also meant, you assumed, that the Supreme Leader _was_ preventing Bosileon, Maigyn, and Rae from bonding with either of their parents. “Of course he did. Phasma is alive. She arrived shortly before I left, as I was preparing for this mission.”

 

He was not angry that you were there, you realized. His agitation lay solely with Snoke. You stepped closer to him, your hands on the front of his coat. “It isn’t only Ren’s fault. Kylo may have made some mistakes, but—”

 

“Do _not_ defend him,” he snapped. You jumped at the harsh tone, and stepped back away from him. You crossed your arms over your chest. There were times, like now, when their rivalry proved detrimental. It went beyond the usual competition that existed in the First Order in terms of rank. It was personal. “I wondered why the payment requested was included a JK-series droid.” You nearly rolled your eyes. They had once been nicknamed _Jedi Killer_ , and they were Force sensitive bio-droid. The one he received would have been devoid of anything that allowed it to function properly, and not one that could be fixed or replicated. Still, that nickname... Kylo Ren. The captain of the _Slug Harlot_ was one cheeky sleemo. “I should have known at that point that Ren was involved. And that you would be here… Snoke is not allowing either of us to be present for his first meeting with them. And for this— if we fail this mission, our children will be orphans.”

 

You snorted, your fingertips digging into the flesh of your arms. “Maybe you should have thought to contact me then.”

 

“This goes beyond your paygrade,” he hissed.

 

You shook your head. The pain and anger towards Snoke was poison, and it slithered its way into the veins of all your relationships. You would not allow the Supreme Leader to take this man from you as well. So you did not argue with him. You moved onto your bed. Tugged the datapad into your lap and powered on the device. You would busy yourself with researching more on holocrons. There were rumors that the First Order had approved. General information that circulated on the HoloNet. You had to keep yourself busy so that you did not lash out more.

 

You doubted that the captain of the _Slug Harlot_ knew it was General Armitage Hux that he was giving passage to. No, the redhead had been in disguise since before he arrived on this planet. The stormtroopers and officers would be more on edge if it had been otherwise. You requested what name he was using. Toumas Weizley. He toyed with the edge of his glasses as he replied. He was not wearing gloves, which had him fidgeting with his hands with increased frequency.

 

“Did you inform Command that you were leaving your post?”

 

It was hard not to wonder if he wasn’t purposely trying to start a fight, perhaps in an attempt to distract himself from the helplessness that he felt over the situation with your children. You spared him nothing more than a quick glance then returned your attention to the datapad. Armitage did not press the issue. He gave a huff prior to walking up to your bed and lowering himself onto one knee. You did not lift your eyes from the text you were reading as you reached for his face with your spare hand. Cupping his cheek, you felt the both of you relaxing at the contact.

 

“Did you send Millicent with them?”

 

You shook your head. His voice had been more gentle, more calm. Not antagonistic as it had been. “I…” You took a deep breath before recounting precisely how your children had been taken from you. Armitage flinched when you brought up the Praetorian Guards. Bared his teeth in anger as you mentioned the stormtroopers. Millicent had been in the bedroom. You would not have trusted her life in their hands at any rate. They clearly did not value them. One thing you had done before leaving home, you had composed a message that Lynnia would receive. She knew where the spare key to your home was located, and she would tend to the small feline’s needs. When the time came, you would send for Millicent.

 

General Hux murmured his approval and agreement with your actions. He shifted onto the bed beside you, encircling you with this arms. It was rather affectionate. Yet the setting worked. None of the First Order officers looking his way. The looming threat of never seeing your children again drawing the pair of you closer as you realized that this was not going to be easy, not in any sense. Sith Holocrons were worth a handsome sum. On top of that, with the Resistance in a desperate situation, they would be hunting for your husband all the more fiercely. He was the one to have overseen the construction of Starkiller Base, the destruction of the Hosnian System. You had heard some referring to him as the _Destroyer of Worlds_ already on the limited functioning HoloNews outlets.

 

You pulled out the pictures you had with you of your children. Armitage touched the face of each one in turn. Rae. Maigyn. Bosileon.

 

“You still trust Ren with their lives.” You hummed in acknowledgment, again in affirmation. “He is...preferable to Snoke.” It was the most he would ever come to agree with the situation. Not that you blamed him. “Do you believe that Skywalker would come for them?”

 

You could not answer him right away. Your mind had been running that question on repeat. A part of you doubted it, although you could not deny that it was a legitimate possibility. Not an inevitability though. Admitting that you did not know wasn’t anything that embarrassed you. From the looks of things, you doubted that the man could have given a straight answer himself.

 

He stood from your bed to return to his own. Once there, he reached underneath the mattress and withdrew three blasters, one of which you recognized as his personal weapon from the First Order. The other two were smaller. More easily concealed. Along with those he was in possession of two vibroblades. You were assuming that he had his usual two knives up his sleeves. Armitage was far better armed than you were, although he remedied this to an extent without you having to ask. The man tossed one of the vibroblades and one of the spare blasters over to you. The safety was on, which would prevent injury.

 

You tucked the sheathed vibroblade into your boot. It was overall easily accessible, although your blaster would be much easier to reach. That was your plan. You were more skilled with a blaster than a blade. With a hum of thought, you grabbed up your datapad to include a notation on a new training program to include a stronger emphasis on blades. Hand-to-hand combat had already been improved. Nothing should be overlooked, not with all that was at risk.

 

 _My children’s lives,_ you thought whilst narrowing your eyes. General Hux was able to see the notes you were making. He reached past you to add that it would be prudent to study the top selling blackmarket blades as well as where they were normally concealed on a person. Situational awareness could save lives as much as fighting capabilities.

 

“What’d you think of the artwork?” you asked conversationally, jerking your head a little in the direction of said graphics though they were on the outside. Armitage’s eyes widened; he was picturing the X-rated design, and you were grinning in amusement. “I wasn’t expecting something like _that_.”

 

“It’s been altered from the previous time I met with the owner.” This brought forth the return of your wondering how well the captain knew the general. Had he recognized him despite the disguise? If he was loyal enough to the First Order, it did not matter. “How are you doing?”

 

All at once, you felt the air sucked out of your lungs. It had been difficult enough to recount the abduction of your children without breaking down. Now that he was asking about you? You refused to inhale for as long as you could. Felt the burn, welcomed it even. Armitage respected your obvious need for a moment alone. He began tucking his remaining weapons away; some on his person, others underneath the mattress. Your reaction was likely enough of an answer for him. A part of you said that you should ask _him_ the same question. You doubted he would fare any better, and so you held your tongue.

 

General Hux withdrew a datapad once he had completed the previous task, and he rejoined you on your bed. It was as though you were on autopilot. Straightening your posture. Your eyes scanning the display as information regarding the first destination on this mission for Holocrons flashed into view. The people you had read up on when the mousy officer had sat next to you on the transportation shuttle. These particular individuals did not involve themselves in the skirmishes between the Resistance and the First Order. They had managed to persist despite the New Republic as well. The lawlessness of their part of the galaxy—space itself. If they somehow became involved in your mission, you would be forced to abide by their rules. No playing fair.

 

In a way, it was no different than working for Snoke. Nothing was held sacred; nothing that you valued.

 

“This is where my hands are going to be stained with blood,” you said. It was not entirely a correct statement given that your training had included execution. This was not the same. No training could have prepared you for this. Armitage scrolled through the data. You could sense that he did not want to answer you. You knew why it was. “We’re out of our element. The Force… This is something Ren can understand. Bu’ay to an extent. We aren’t Force sensitive. Our children are, but… Hunting for these Holocrons—we’re hoping that at least _one_ even exists. If they aren’t…” You felt sick all over again.

 

Going back empty handed was not an option. Should the holocrons all turn out to be nothing more than fabrications or things of the past, the Supreme Leader would deny you your children. And he would not hesitate to use them as hostages to keep both of you where he wanted you. He would not want to kill them, but he would still do so. First he would have _you_ executed. Armitage Hux remained useful to Snoke.

 

“We knew that it would come down to this.” You swallowed thickly at the sound of his voice, at how in-control of himself that he was. “I feared that Ren would be in a position where he could control the fates of our children more than we could. The moment it was discovered that they could wield the Force… The Resistance is a tool. Bu’ay an ally. This time...should we fail to locate a Holocron, we shall all the same learn more of the Force. That in itself will be useful. Do not let doubt win. Blood is necessary in war.”

 

“I know.” Almost inaudible. “I’m just… I’m _not_ holding up, not really.” Because of him, you knew your limits. It was due to this that you were aware your words had been a half-truth. You licked your lips, rolled your eyes, and shook your head. “I’m running on autopilot. Adrenaline. Anger. Fear. This time… The traveling is the worst part. There’s too much time to think, not enough that I can do to keep distracted.” Your eyes raked along his dyed hair, his glasses. “It feels out of place to have that thought of… You look nice. To be relieved that you’re here.”

 

Armitage rested his forehead against yours. “I know.” He felt it too. You shifted, tucking your face into the crook of his neck and sliding your arms around him, clutching him as you allowed yourself to cry but a handful of tears. Tears of sadness. Frustration. Fear. Relief. Love. Pain. Joy. Hatred. “I know.” His voice sounded strained. He wouldn’t let himself cry. He wouldn’t let the doubt take over. “We will win. Snoke will soon be nothing more than a spectre in the past. A chapter in history that we end.”

 

He continued to hold you even as the _Slug Harlot_ left the moon’s atmosphere. Did not release you as the ship gave a sort of lurch when it entered hyperspace. It was the first time in a while that you welcomed the silence. It allowed you to hear his breathing, and that reminded you of the fact that you had nearly lost him. You did not feel guilty for the relief anymore. You were learning yet again that it was possible to harbor multiple emotions at the same time, especially when each had its root in passion.

 

That was a funny thing about the Force. Something in regards to the Sith, to the Dark side, that you had learned.

 

_Through Passion I gain Strength; Through Strength I gain Power; Through Power I gain Victory._

 

Snoke’s arrogance, his decision to use your children as pawns, would be his undoing.


	4. Follow My Lead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a head's up that I am avoiding news on IX. That includes the trailer, theorizing, discussions, and such. This is for personal reasons to include emotional welfare.

Follow My Lead

 

In truth, you had not expected a full apology from Armitage in regards to him acting as he had early on in your relationship; it  _ was _ demeaning of him to state that things were ‘beyond your paygrade’. The man had a tendency to hide behind his rank at times. You had forgotten just how much, how often, he did so. Yet here you were, living to see the day that Armitage did draw you closer to him and admit his wrongdoing. You respected him more for doing so, for putting his relationship with you above his rank, above  _ appearances _ , which you knew to mean so much to this man. He was, in his own way and at his own speed, growing. That was a reminder of just how much people were always changing. You yourself had grown leaps and bounds when compared to that officer in training who had fallen for the red-haired general.

 

You threaded your fingers together before stretching your arms to work out some of the tension that you had started to feel. The weight left by the initial moodiness of the man had had you pulling up a lot of your emotional defenses. It would be impossible for you to drop all of those walls immediately. Armitage knew this as well, which was why he did not press things beyond your limits. His eyes were constantly observing your reactions to everything he did.

 

He did, on the other hand, prod at one of the banthas in the room. “The destruction of the Hosnian System and Starkiller have had an impact on you.” Your heart stuttered in your chest. It was something that you could not explain. There was a difference between hypothetical deaths, numbers on a spreadsheet, and witnessing it truly happen. That difference had hit you much harder when you had seen your children’s reactions. Armitage had not been there. He had, you imagined, felt so proud when firing the weapon. Motherhood had changed you in that respect; it had undone some of the training you had undergone when being groomed for the position of General Hux’s assistant. The separation of emotions from the kill when you had executed the captured Resistance member.

 

With a shrug, you pulled away from him by standing as he continued to sit upon the bed. “I don’t want to become detached where death has no impact.” He attempted to counter your words, inquiring about the death belonging to that of your enemy, the same enemy that would kill you. Your mind flashed to the officers that had betrayed the First Order, had attempted to kill you for money. Next you thought of Bu’ay, how she had, in the end, had to find a means of killing her own father. All the while, you were shaking your head. “An entire system. So many civilians. Children.”

 

“You were aware of this possibility when you went to Starkiller.” You flinched at that. Then gestured with your hand, as though asking why that alone didn’t prove your point. The ginger-haired man tilted his head, conceding that he himself was more numb to death due to his childhood. He had been born and raised at the time of the Empire’s fall. His life had been a constant war, and Brendol Hux had not made things any easier.

 

The lack of a response from Armitage now reminded you of the complicated nature of your relationship. He was your superior in the First Order. From a business perspective, he might well be disappointed in your words and behavior. More personally...well, that was harder to know.

 

It was best to shove all of that aside for the time being. Otherwise you would be doing mental gymnastics at every turn on this mission that would return you to your children’s sides. You gave a wave of your hand to dismiss things. Armitage knew you well enough to offer a nod. He might have also worried that you would slip up by using his real name at a time that the  _ Slug Harlot _ ’s captain would overhear.

 

“How soon before we arrive at the first location? Do you know, Weizley?” You scrunched up your nose as you said his fake name. Armitage’s lips pinched. You mouthed an  _ I know _ in regards to how obvious you were being that the name was not real.

 

You forced yourself to think of him as  _ Toumas _ , trying to emphasize the importance of not slipping up. That could ruin everything.

 

The father of your children drummed his fingers on his knee while taking a moment to breathe. It was obvious that he had had no time to rest since the destruction of Starkiller, if not since before then. Toumas utilized this time to also run through some quick calculations, as he rattled off an approximation as to when the ship would arrive. There were a few more jumps that would have to occur to ensure safe travels. The First Order had the upper hand over the Resistance at this point, however sympathizers and rogues would not pass up what could be considered a golden opportunity.

 

You were not looking forward to landing on the planet where the Holocron was said to rest. The First Order contact that would be meeting up with you was a mutual of the captain’s. Based on the captain's reaction alone when you had mentioned the name, it was not going to be easy. The terrain was not a plus either. Both elements would be willing to end your life without a care.

 

The nature of the potential Holocron interested you. More specifically, what Snoke would plan with it. Would he use it himself? Give it to Kylo Ren? Or perhaps your children would become wrapped up in its secrets.

 

Pinching the bridge of your nose, you muttered under your breath a reminder that you needed to relax before you gave yourself too much of a headache. There were plenty of elements that were outside of your control. The best course of action, at this point, was to focus on those that you could influence. That Armitage was here was turning into more of a blessing. You had someone you could trust, someone who would watch your back, someone that you knew would be working towards the best interest of your children. That was what mattered.

 

A chime echoed throughout the quarters you were sharing with Armitage. The quietude had allowed you to hear it so well, and you half-turned to watch the redhead lift up one of your devices. Rather than looking at it himself, he extended his arm to offer the object to you. You accepted it with a quick  _ thanks _ . The message that had arrived was encrypted. You wracked your brain in an attempt to remember what passcodes you were to use. No one else would be messaging you like this save for Kylo Ren. You chewed your bottom lip. What was shared between the two of you that he would use? You would be given multiple chances before the message self-deleted. That being said, you did not want to get it wrong at all. That would cause you to panic since you did not know the exact nature of the message. Panic would cloud your thinking. Keeping a cool head was imperative.

 

_ We did some damage together with his lightsaber, but I doubt he would use that. Not when it resulted in punishment. _ You glanced at the disguised General Hux. There was one thing that connected all three of you. Something small that not even Snoke would consider. It had nothing to do with the Force or even the First Order, not really.

 

Your fingers made quick work of the task, plugging in the passcode  _ sweetmuffins _ . Though you were not entirely surprised that it proved to be correct, you nevertheless felt a thrill and also a sense of relief. The option to open the message became available. You paused, considered what could possibly be contained within, and settled beside Armitage. A moment later, you were grateful that you had done so, otherwise you would have collapsed to the floor. Even still, you swayed in place. Felt a hand on your shoulder to help steady you. Heard his sharp inhalation the same as yours.

 

A single image presented itself after you opened the message, and it was the subject of the picture that floored you. Maigyn, Rae, and Bosileon were slumbering, the three of them snuggled together on a black cloth that looked much like the cowl Kylo Ren often wore. It could be just that. Your fingers inched towards the display, however stopped short of making contact. Beside you, Armitage had hardly moved, barely even breathed. Your children looked to be in optimal health. And you were relieved that they were clearly in Kylo’s custody, at least for the time being. The farther they were from Snoke, the better. Even if that distance was minimal.

 

“They’re safe,” you whispered encouragingly. It was not only for yourself that you spoke, but for Hux’s benefit as well. He nodded then responded with a soft  _ yes, they are _ . “There is no more  _ beyond your paygrade _ .” You could not let that go, not completely. Seeing your triplets had renewed your drive. Armitage looked rightly chastised. “If you fail to see me as your equal, especially in this, you won’t get anywhere. Those are my children.  _ Anything _ to do with them is my business. It’s time that you remember that. You are following my lead here.”

 

Armitage opened his mouth, yet failed to say so much as a syllable. He snapped it closed then settled on nodding. His gaze strayed from your face to roam the image. It was not one that could be kept. There was likely a timer on it; it would self-delete in a matter of minutes of being opened. All traces of it gone. This would protect your children, as well as you and Armitage.

 

* * *

  
  


The First Order contact was not human in race, however appeared to possess many humanoid characteristics. You would have known more about him, had he not been wearing goggles, a mask, and lightweight and loose clothing. The latter would serve its purpose of protecting him from the elements, while not stifling him. The uncharacteristic humidity was of little surprise to you; weather had been temperamental on several planets following the use of Starkiller’s weapons. You did not know if this was a mere coincidence, if there was something more going on, or if you had underestimated the fallout of the weapon drawing its power from suns.

 

The disguised General Hux had shed his coat for this portion of the mission. He had his sleeves rolled up as well, and you were grateful that you had talked him into applying sunscreen and bug repellant. He’d be a meal for the sun and insects otherwise.

 

“Do not underestimate the carnivorous plants here. Some are worse than the beasts,” the contact said. The words were processed through the translator that he had affixed to his throat, the metallic voice from the vocoder reminding you of Ren. “And do not forget the arrangement.”

 

“Anything beyond what we seek belongs to you,” Armitage drawled, careful to keep his accent in check as best he could. The contact nodded. You reminded yourself that this individual often dealt with the Black Market. Sith Artifacts could catch a hefty sum. Or even items from pre-Empire days. It did not have to have anything to do with the Force at all.

 

The blades and blaster that Armitage had given to you aboard the  _ Slug Harlot _ were in reach; the First Order contact probably already knew that they were present, though he made no comment about you being armed. It would be foolish for you to not have weapons on you. The blades would assist in the case of carnivorous plants, while the blaster would better serve you should a different adversary make itself known. You had it set to stun, and hoped that no situation would require you to change that. It was not the local fauna that concerned you. Those who dealt in the Black Market had a tendency to double-cross individuals if it meant money. Should this contact also be associated with someone in the Resistance, they would pay a hefty price indeed for General Hux. Keeping his identity a secret would be just as important as ensuring that the Holocron remained with you.

 

“You’re quite a twig, Weizley,” the contact said, drawing a snort from you. “Have you fired that blaster you’re carrying? Not at a range. That’s easy enough.”

 

You and Armitage shared a look that seemed to go unnoticed by the man. “No,” Armitage said. The lie had a tinge of faux embarrassment. He was a rather skilled actor, you had to admit. “I’m ready to fire if it comes down to it.”

 

This time it was the contact that snorted. “Sure… Sure…” From the angle you stood, you caught sight of a forming smirk. He either knew better than to accept the lie, or he was hoping that his plans to double-cross you would go more smoothly.

 

So much for not needing to switch the settings from stun to kill.


	5. Oh What Tangled Webs

Oh What Tangled Webs

 

The task of setting your weapon to the  _ kill _ setting would have to wait. It was obvious to you that each and every one of your actions were being monitored to the best of the contact’s abilities. As soon as you found an opening wherein your mistrust would not be given away, you would complete the change. For the time being you followed along after the man. The name he had provided was not his birth name. You doubted that the First Order had failed to learn his true origins given their work history. That did not mean all officers were given the information, and his man knew it. He told the pair of you to call him  _ Hujyi _ . Not once did he bother with ensuring that you could correctly pronounce it. Likewise, he butchered the two surnames provided by you and the disguised Hux. Weizley became Vesler. Onedia became Wanda.

 

That was just as well, you thought. There was no love lost.

 

The foliage grew denser within minutes of setting out. Your eyes scanned the various species of plants, however you were unsure of their names. You were a little disappointed in yourself when it came to this. Generally you liked to have a better handle on things, to be more knowledgeable of your surroundings. Starkiller Base had been an exception; then again, you had been kept in the dark of its full nature until after your transfer. This planet was much the same in those regards—you hadn’t known that you would be coming here, and the data provided to you had been minimal. Aware of the carnivorous plants hiding amongst all the beauty of nature, you kept your hand close to where you could easily grab either your blaster or a blade.

 

Birds sang their songs, which were occasionally interrupted by sharp screeches that you took to mean a predator was near their nests. Hujyi gave no input on the cries, and he did not react to them either. Whatever dangers had kept him from pursuing the possible Holocron himself, those predators had nothing to do with it.

 

A light pressure on the small of your back had you tensing. You were thankful that you did not jump the moment you realized that it was Armitage. You scowled half-heartedly at him, and he smiled in acknowledgment over having startled you. He then squinted his eyes a little. That was it. The only sign that something was off. You returned your attention to the path you were following. Every few seconds you would glance upwards, acting as though you were surveying your surroundings and nothing more. In truth you were observing Hujyi. Attempting to catch sight of whatever it was that had the faux-brunette being more cautious.

 

Some of the plants shifted in a manner that was not dismissed as being caused by the wind. You slowed your pace. Hujyi paused, cocking his head to the side and listening. He grunted, swore under his breath, and gestured off to the side. The three of you would be changing course. As you did so, you looked over your shoulder to observe the continued movement of the plants. Your heart pounded in your chest. It was impossible to not be worried or curious. You took this opportunity to change the settings on your blaster. The First Order contact commented on the action, praising it as a wise move while also telling you he doubted it would be of much use unless you had particularly good aim. One of the more dangerous species of plants would not be stopped even if you maimed it.

 

Duly noted, you thought, eyes darting to Armitage, who had moved ahead of you. The man half turned to meet your gaze. He then looked past you, his lips pinching together. He was worried. The subtle signs were there, and you were able to pick up on them from your time together. It was his jawline that gave him away, next his eyes. They could be expressive when he let down his guard.

 

Hujyi took out a blade. When he cut aside leaves and limbs, it was not haphazardly. They had reached for him, clearly following some form of intelligence or instinct. Still, your stomach swam with a mixture of feelings on the matter. Since witnessing your children’s reactions to death, you had become more sensitive. Both Captain Phasma and Hux would have chastised you had you said so aloud. It was more difficult for you to say what Kylo Ren’s reaction would have been. You hated that you did not understand the Force, wished that the First Order had provided more information on it. Something. Anything.

 

But Supreme Leader Snoke would never have allowed that. You knew this; the man did not want any potential weaknesses to be unveiled by such an education.

 

Your desire to find a Holocron grew, your motivations multiplying in number.

 

You were drawn out of your thoughts when in your peripheral you could see movement. The creatures looked like giant leaves, which helped them to blend into their surroundings. Hujyi spared them but a quick glance. There was no alteration in the path you were taking. ‘Toumas’ nevertheless drew his blaster out of its holster. His finger was ready to slide against the trigger. Listening, you could hear that the noise level had grown rather than quieted. Something was causing the living beings around you to chatter, to grow uneasy. Your guide’s words repeated themselves again within your head. The plants more than the animals. 

 

“Now’s when you need to keep your guard up. The nest is like a web of vines.” A guttural laugh. “Watch your step, or you’ll become dinner.”

 

Which meant, you surmised, that no one had yet managed to slip past the carnivorous plants to fully enter the location of the potential Holocron. Hujyi would start to lag behind—there, like that. The First Order contact feigned a muscle cramp, pausing in his steps to massage the back of his leg. You held off the urge to roll your eyes, and continued forward. Still, your pace was slower, as was Hux’s. The pair of you were walking side by side. Each glancing this way and that for any sign of movement, any sign of vines that would ensnare you.

 

The buzzing of a small insect swarm preceded the moment you frantically waved a hand in front of your face. You wrinkled up your features until the swarm had passed. Then twisted to watch their journey, which ended abruptly as a goo-like substance attracted them to a larger leaf—that leaf rolled up on itself towards to the plant’s stalk, and out of your line of sight. It was tame in comparison to whatever Hujyi feared. In the corner of your eye, you observed him reach into the front of his clothing with one hand, the other nearer to his weapon.

 

As you returned to watching your step, you were nearly grabbed by one vine-like tendril. It coiled around itself then shifted back a few inches. You hesitated before taking another step. There were some vines just a shade darker than the rest. It was those that moved, that made a grab at your ankles as well as the ankles of your two companions. You did not reveal this observation to the First Order contact, although you wondered if he wasn’t already aware of it. The disguised General Hux seemed to have learned the trick himself. He stepped rather calmly, as though he had encountered similar obstacles in the past.

 

They began to crisscross, those darker vines. The tendrils were thicker as well. They seemed to pulsate, quite alive. Several bore thorns on their surface. You inwardly cringed at the thought of being caught by one of those. The thorns would dig into your flesh. Some of the larger ones, quite sharp, would burrow into muscle.

 

An amphibian hopped out a bush to the left of you. Your feet were straddling one of the tendrils, and you froze in place. Another hop, this one landing the amphibian less than an inch away from the vine. Your eyes traced a pattern on the ground. Drawing along the dark tendril as you considered how much of it would coil, whether or not you would also be snatched up if the amphibian—

 

The final hop had the amphibian meeting the vine-like tendril, on a spot without thorns. The plant was whip-like in speed, snapping itself backwards so that two of its thorns penetrated the amphibian’s flesh. The creature released a cry of pain, one that was matched in pitch by your yelp as you threw yourself to the side to avoid being caught between the plant and its prey. You hopped awkwardly numerous times, your heart pounding as you waited to lose your footing and stumble into another vine. ‘Toumas’ caught your wrist, keeping you from falling. His body was angled as well, to prevent  _ him _ from touching any of the tendrils.

 

“You might have been a dancer in another life,” Hujyi said. His tone was far too conversational for your liking; it was as though you hadn’t almost been eaten. You scowled, placed your foot on the ground, and waited for the father of your children to relinquish his hold before you took another step forward. The two of you shared a look; neither of you liked the contact, that was for certain.

 

The three of you managed to travel farther along the vines without incident. The trek was slow, tedious. Sweat had gathered on your brow and the back of your neck. You felt the moisture trailing down your spine. Perspiration was visibly wetting the back of Hux’s attire. How Hujyi wore all those layers of his without passing out, you weren’t sure. More and more, he was falling behind. That had nothing to do with exhaustion or heat. He was prepared to hightail it out of there if either you or ‘Toumas’ was caught by a tendril. Not all of the vines were coated with thorns. You wondered just how many of them belonged to one plant; were there multiple involved in the creation of this web? If not, they did not appear to react to one another’s touch.

 

Gaps between the vines lessened in number. They also grew smaller, which forced your group to move on tip-toe. The strain in your calf muscle was something that you were able to ignore for the time being. Much longer, however, and you knew a cramp would form.

 

_ If the Holocron isn’t here… _

 

The thought made your stomach flip, made your heart stutter within your chest. When you swayed in place, it was not due to the potential scenarios running amok in your head. A gasp escaped from you. Tensing only served to make you lurch, pitching forward. Behind you, you could hear Hujyi stop moving. The disguised First Order general likewise stopped. His actions you could see though. The same way that you were able to see the expression on his face. Worry. His heart would be racing, you thought.

 

One of those vines had an immediate vicelike grip on you. Then a second. A third. You cried out in pain as the thorns, thankfully smaller here than on other portions, bit into your flesh. What kept you from losing your footing in full was that the vines worked against one another, each tugging in a different direction. Had they previously grabbed different limbs from one another, you may have had dislocated joints.

 

Conflict warred on Armitage’s features, which you saw past your tears of pain. The natural instinct to grab at the injured portion of your body won out, however you managed to drag away one hand almost immediately, grabbing instead at one of the blades. The cuts from the thorns grew deeper. None of the tendrils relinquished their purchase. Swears fled from your lips while mentally you were, on some level, grateful that the entire web of vines was not after you. Only these three. Your stomach again swooped, this time from nausea resulting from the pain.

 

What scared you more than your current predicament was the thought that things could get worse the moment you used your blade. If the plant reacted violently to having one part of it cut away, you would doom all three of you.

 

And there had not been some simple solution of using a hovermount; the web of vines were thicker higher up, and the predatory animals roamed that area. It was the vines that had kept your party safe from the other creatures, which now released hungry yowls at the scent of your blood.

 

_ A death trap, _ you thought as your trembling hands managed to obey your commands. A sweet scented sap oozed from the cut you made on the first vine. The other two tendrils shuddered. Relented only to increase the pressure of their grip. They pulled away from one another once more. Blood pooled from your wounds where the thorns no longer had penetrated your leg. You gagged, your body convulsing even as you began work on the next vine. You paused when the first layer of the vine had been sliced through. Rethinking your actions, feeling dizzy, you pulled the two vines nearer to one another. This meant cutting upwards with their thorns, maiming your own flesh. You managed. It was panic that was influencing you, hindering you, more than the loss of blood. A part of you knew this. Another part did not care.

 

Both ‘Toumas’ and Hujyi were speaking to you in calm voices, instructing you to cut the vines at the same time, lest you fall victim to the plant. It would not be warring against itself if you cut only a single tendril.

 

“I know, I know,” you murmured, not being ungrateful but wanting to assure them that you hadn’t lost all sense just yet.

 

The sweet sap was coating your hand, and you felt the limb beginning to tingle as though it was starting to grow numb. Your next cut was sloppy. Still, it managed to slice through the two remaining vines. They fell to the ground, flopping around like a fish out of water. Your breath hitched, and you waited. Waited for the other vines that were rattled to come after you. A few  _ were _ shifting. Not towards you, though. Away.

 

That did not mean you were safe. Nor were Hujyi or Hux, who both had to shift from foot to foot, side to side, to avoid getting in the way of those retreating tendrils. The web reconfigured itself. New vines slipped out of the foliage that surrounded you while some of the others disappeared under cover. Two mammalian predators started to lower themselves from a branch. They made a swipe at you, at Hujyi, and hissed in frustration at the fact that you were still out of reach. You stared into their jaws at their teeth. Those teeth sharper than the thorns that had just pierced you. Now that you were bleeding, to them you were wounded prey. They would stalk you—this proven true as your party resumed its slow journey after you tied material around your ankle to staunch the bleeding; you were careful to avoid anything too loose that could touch a part of the web without your noticing.

 

“Be wary,” Hujyi said. You nearly whipped around to tell him his words were unnecessary when he continued: “There are some that shoot darts containing that sap. You’re nearly dragging your foot.”

 

_ Slag it, _ you thought with a snarl. You shook your hand in an attempt to wake it up. Stared down at your ankle.

 

The First Order contact had his blaster at the ready. “I’m more interested in living. You can have the Holocron.” An admission that he had planned to kill you. You narrowed your eyes at him. Hujyi gestured first to your ankle then to the creatures stalking you from above. “If there is no Holocron, what do you plan to do?”

 

“Not die, certainly,” Armitage chimed. “We’ll split the loot. We need something to take back for our efforts.”

 

Hujyi did not answer immediately, seeming to weigh his options. The plants around you shifted, leaves rubbing against one another. “I get first pick.” There was no argument with that. You had come for a Holocron, something to appease Snoke with so that you could be with your children. If instead you found an artifact…

 

Your eyes met with the faux-brunette’s. You mouthed  _ Bu’ay _ then  _ artifact _ . His mouth twitched. Not a subconscious response; this shadow of a smirk was purposeful. He was in agreement with you. If the Holocron was absent, you would be arming your ally for when it was time to turn against the Supreme Leader of the First Order. She was not as powerful as Kylo Ren was in the Force, but that was of no consequence. Her people would follow her. More importantly, the artifact would empower her, and she was studying more in the Force. Learning to defend herself. As leader of her people, she had to be strong in many respects.

 

The issue with Hujyi was not yet fully resolved. Though he was no longer aiming to double-cross you, it was for a purely selfish reason. If leaving you behind meant he lived, he would do it. Shooting you so that he could flee while you were eaten? He’d do that as well. It was simply less likely to occur as anything other than spur of the moment, given the right circumstances.

 

Before you could spend more time planning on how Bu’ay would play a part in Snoke’s undoing, you had to fulfill this part of your mission first.

 

The web of vinelike tendrils was all the more daunting. The numbness in your ankle was spreading to every portion that had made contact with the sap. Your hand was also useless to you. The fingers on its twin were no better. No longer was the web stationary. Every few steps, the vines would begin to move, forcing your party to maneuver. It was eating up time and energy. Your clothing was soaked, and dehydration was a real threat.

 

It was the thought of your children that kept you going; in your mind’s eye, you saw the picture that Kylo Ren had sent to you. Maigyn, Rae, Bosileon. The three of them, presently at Snoke’s mercy.

 

Spittle from the foaming mouth of one of your mammalian pursuers met your shoulder. “You must smell really good to them,” Hujyi said. His tone suggested that you didn’t smell good to  _ him _ . Which was fair.

 

But still…

 

_ Go kriff yourself, sleemo _ .

 

You paused, shook your foot in the air to help enliven it, and resumed the tedious task of making it through the vines, which were, thankfully, beginning to thin out. Unfortunately, the other predators seemed to know this fact as well. Their yowls and chitters grew in volume, and they sounded quite excited.

 

With a snarl, you pushed onward. This was one death trap that you would overcome.


	6. Potential is a Light in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your continued to support. I also very much appreciate those who answered the poll on instagram. I will be working to incorporate more humor and smutty goodness into this fic along with the plot. <3

Potential is a Light in the Dark

 

It was something dark indeed that had created then dwelt in the former walls of the ruins. There could be little else that would explain the hesitation suddenly observed by the mammalian predators that had stalked your group of three despite the presence of the carnivorous plants. That was not to say that the beasts had given up on pursuing their quarry. They lingered behind. Patient, as always. They had to know that the three of you would emerge from the ruins. If not, well, they would smell death and know to abandon their chase. The numbness in your limbs had begun to ebb, which allowed you to better feel the pain from where the thorns had punctured your flesh. Your limp was more pronounced. The predators knew this. They had observed it. No, they would not abandon you until they knew for certain that the darkness lingering in the ruins had consumed you in their place.

 

You utilized the absence of light as a means of warding off the creatures for a while longer. This resulted in cautiously placed steps. Moments of pause. The last traces of sunlight were gone when each of you pulled out an electronic torch to assist with seeing what was in front of you. It did not look like anything special, but then again appearances could be deceiving. The weather tattered stones smoothed out until it became clear that a natural cave had been used in the construction of whatever had once stood there.

 

Wind whistled through the ruins, creating a sound that was akin to wailing. It had the hairs on your arms standing on end. The entire atmosphere had you ready to believe in ghosts and hauntings. There was much about the Force that you did not understand. Restless spirits would fit that category. The darkness had imprinted on the former building, which may have been a temple or else some stronghold created by the Sith and their followers. Their pawns, you thought, upper lip curling as your mind dredged up thoughts of Snoke and his disregard for life other than his own. Beside you, the disguised Armitage briefly turned from viewing his surroundings to instead consider the wound on your ankle. The more time the wound was exposed to the elements―and who knew what sorts of bacteria and fungi were present here―the greater the risk of infection. This would translate into more difficulty escaping the beasts that waited for you above, not even considering what traps may still lie in your path within the walls of these ruins.

 

While you appreciated his concern, you hoped that his focus would instead be on locating the rumored Holocron. In this case, personal sentiment such as worry truly could prove detrimental. He could not hesitate, not here. Your concern that Hujyi would even still discover a means of ridding himself of the pair of you after he was safe from the ruins and predators, though diminished, had not disappeared completely. A lack of remnants of time long gone the further you travelled proved to increase that probability. If there were not enough relics, if there were none at all, the First Order contact would be displeased and consider this a waste of his time. He would take out that frustration on you and Armitage in the form of sacrificing your lives so that he would survive. In terms of a dog-eat-dog business, you could not say as you fully blamed him. Not on a personal level.

 

With the hand that was not holding the electronic torch, you caressed the blaster that was at your hip. Armitage had not holstered his own weapon. That would be foolish. Had you not been injured, you would have been actively armed as well. “I don’t hear anything,” you said, keeping your voice low so as to not cause any possible creatures in the ruins to stir. Both males commented that they did not pick up signs of life as well. Instead, each of the three of you were plagued with the sensation that something dead was lurking. Phantom presences. Thankfully, they did not amount to anything tangible aside from a sudden drop downwards that none of you fell victim to.

 

Peering down into the seemingly endless darkness, you adjusted your torch to look at the wall under your feet. With a grin, you held your arm out to the side in the direction of ‘Toumas’. “Hold my torch. I love climbing.” The disguised General Hux did not argue with you. His hand wrapped around your torch, allowing you to withdraw a smaller version of the device that fit in your mouth. That kept both of your hands free as you carefully began your descent. The injury to your ankle had you moving at a slower pace than you otherwise would have.

 

From above, you could hear Hujyi ask the other First Order officer if he wasn’t about to help you. To which the faux-brunette grunted then, likely cupping his hands to his mouth in order to amplify his voice―he lights he was holding shifted―said, “You’re doing great.”

 

You snorted and nearly rolled your eyes, but could not contain the smile that played at your features. Despite your current circumstances, you were feeling more at ease. You did very much enjoy climbing. It was one of the things you had missed about Starkiller, something you had looked forward to doing with your children. Something that you  _ still _ looked forward to with your triplets. Kylo Ren had given you a sense of peace that was building layer by layer; it was that Armitage was with you that also allowed you to find enjoyment in places where you would have otherwise been in bouts of despair. The man had spoken of his intentions to eventually marry you, however it was only recently that the two of you were becoming more well-acquainted on personal levels outside of the workplace. While these circumstances were anything but ideal, they were fruitful in that respect. Your children were safe in the care of Kylo Ren, and Armitage Hux and you were on this journey, one that would allow you two to not only learn about one another, but the Force as well. And thus you would each have a deeper connection to your children.

 

The man was not wrong. You were doing great in terms of your mood and your progress on the wall. Sliding your foot onto a sturdy mini ledge, you paused for a moment to take a breath. Prior to continuing your descent you once more looked around at the surface of the wall below you. One side appeared questionable, which prompted you to alter your hand positions to take the other.

 

What you did not call up to the two men was that the phantom presences had increased the farther down you journeyed. It was one of the reasons that you were grateful the First Order contact had not pressed to come down there with you. You wanted to have the first look at whatever was creating that presence. Though you did not know much about the Force, you had general ideas of it, the majority of them stemming from your contact with Kylo Ren.

 

The mouth to a cave was soon to your right. You had ensured that you would be to the side of it so that you could peer into its depths before you went inside. Seeing nothing within the first bit that was visible with your small torch, you shifted into the opening. With your hands freed from their previous task, you withdrew your blaster and readied yourself to use it at a moment’s notice. The torch remained in your mouth. It kept your other hand free, prepared to grab onto something should the ground beneath you begin to open at all.

 

It was not wind that had been whistling, you realized. The whispers, the sound of wailing, was coming from within this corridor of the larger cave. The hairs on the back of your neck stood on end. Every breath you took burned in your lungs, and your heart hammered in your chest. There was no assortment of treasures. Only a single wooden box from which that darkness seemed to emanate. Again were you grateful that Hujyi was not with you physically. His voice, on the other hand, carried down to you, asking if you had found anything.

 

“Just bones,” you called back, the sound of your statement convincing even to your own ears. You replaced the torch into your mouth, opened the box with a shaking hand, and stared at the brooch that was resting on a velvet surface inside. You did not know what would happen to you if you touched it, however the box was too large to hide from Hujyi. You and Armitage needed this artifact, needed to give it to Bu’ay for when at long last there could be an open revolt against Snoke.

 

Your fingers closed around the object. Maker, you felt chilled to the bone. You did what you could to ignore this sensation, silently prayed that it would not sap your strength or even your very life, and tucked the brooch into your bra, pinning it to the material. You made sounds like you were searching for things. Swore, the small torch in your hand again. Said  _ nothing _ with such vehemence and volume that you could hear Huyji cursing as well. He hissed out that he had risked his life for nothing, that the First Order was constantly seeking things that weren’t there, all based on rumor, always wasting precious resources. You couldn’t help but wonder how he would feel if he learned that he was saying those things in General Hux’s presence.

 

He’d probably pull his blaster that much quicker.

 

Your ascent took much longer than the descent. You were growing tired, mostly from your injury and the extra precautions you had to take because of it. In the back of your mind, you also considered that the Sith artifact  _ was _ consuming portions of your strength. Returning to the  _ Slug Harlot _ was going to be more difficult, now that you were weighed down with the absence of the Holocron and the existence of the artifact in its place. You and ‘Toumas’ would be all the more expendable in Hujyi’s mind.

 

The contact had his hand near his blaster as the disguised Hux bent down to help you up onto your feet. You were faster, though. As Hujyi whipped out his blaster with one hand and grabbed for your chest―for the brooch, as though he could sense it―with the other, you rolled onto the ground and swept his legs out from underneath him while also shoving at Armitage. The shot blasted the wall behind where the man you loved had just been standing. You set your finger on the trigger, hesitating only when the had that had aimed to grab the artifact instead clasped around your ankle. If he fell, he would drag you with him.

 

“I’ve been hunting down artifacts longer than you,” the contact hissed. “You think I don’t know!?”

 

You wondered if he had suspected, even before the three of you had arrived, what the ruins had truly contained. You were pawns to him, just as Snoke had considered you to be. All this for power. Trading lives for artifacts constructed by the Sith, for the domination of the entire galaxy.

 

A blaster bolt shot past you, its sound causing you to jump in place. The next second, you yanked your leg closer to your body and away from the severed hand that had still clutched it. Bile rose in your throat. You managed to swallow it down as Armitage shot again, this time aiming to kill the man who would have murdered you instead. You rolled up onto your feet to join Hux in exiting the ruins. If his mind was working through the problem the same as yours, he would have also deduced that, whoever was aiming to buy the artifact from him, Hujyi would have arranged to meet on this planet. He might have already been paid as well. That posed a new threat for when you were on your way to the  _ Slug Harlot _ .

 

“Your eyes are glowing,” Armitage said when the two of you were away from Hujyi’s corpse.

 

“Uh…” You furrowed your brow. “Thanks?”

 

A snort. “I was not aiming to compliment you, (y/n). Your eyes are glowing. That is how he knew. What is it?” You touched near the corner of your left eye as you told him about the brooch. “Our children inherited their Force sensitivity from  _ your _ genes. I cannot help but wonder if you don’t have latent abilities yourself.”

 

Which could explain the brooch’s reaction to you.

 

Dim light from a setting sun spilled into the opening of the cave that had led into the ruins. You had extinguished the smaller torch only to discover that you had not needed it to see. Nor were you reliant upon the larger torch that Armitage had. You could tell by the color of the rays that the sun was starting to set, however you did not need its light either. It was strange to you, how something that had emanated such darkness offered a light.

 

The mammalian predators that had waited at the entrance of the ruins gave screeches. They could sense that darkness. You reached into the front of your shirt, unhooking the Sith artifact from your bra and holding it in your hand instead. Armitage set his hand over yours. He took the object from you. It felt as though a boulder had been taken off of your back. You readied your blaster, aware that the beasts would not leave though they gave more berth. If too much distance was put between you and Armitage, they would surge forward and have you as their next meal. The carnivorous plants also remained.

 

To top this all off, you were exhausted. Fatigue showed on Hux’s features as well.

 

“I’d take a cold day on Starkiller over this any day,” you murmured, shoulders slumping.

 

Armitage cocked his head to the side. “Where’s your sense of adventure?” You eyed him, unsure if he was being serious or not. “I haven’t been on a mission like this in years.” He was enjoying himself, you realized. Your eyebrows rose towards your hairline. This was a side of the man you had not seen in full. He was out of his element. Instead of becoming irritable as he had been earlier, he was finding out new things about himself. Learning about the galaxy, the planets he may have thought were as expendable as the Hosnian System had been to him.

 

“Just wait until the bugs start biting,” you told him with a wink. It was a part that you were not looking forward to either. “They’re safe with him, you know.”

 

The man gave a nod. “I am coming to accept that. They are safe...and we are able to plan our attack against the Supreme Leader. It is far from ideal, however it is something that we will work with. The main concern here is getting off this planet alive.” He reached over to tap directly under your eye. “Thankfully we have a means of seeing even if the sun does set before we arrive at the transport.” He leaned in, giving your cheek a kiss. “Just like a kitten, you can see in the dark for me.” Armitage smirked in a way that had your cheeks growing hot. “We shall affix it to your collar.” That heat was not only in your face anymore.

 

You channeled the energy that would have allowed you to act on the building sexual urges into pushing onwards. You had your blaster at the ready. The vines were thinned out. There was less prey at night, you reasoned, and so the carnivorous plants would adjust where they set out their traps, focusing on known nests. As to whether or not the presence of the Sith artifact played a role, you did not know. It hardly mattered at any rate. You were simply grateful that you had more room to step.

 

The beasts from above were more of a threat now. They swiped at you, threw loose branches and rocks in your direction. One hit your face, cutting a small slash on your cheek. That part was a nuisance, but it was worrying over it causing the vines to stir that sent your heart racing. They were opportunistic more than vengeful or fixated, which meant that when the smaller, nocturnal critters that were not prone to venturing into the plants’s grasps came out, they left. There were less objects thrown then none at all. The yowls faded into the distance. Other creatures shrieked as they were snatched up. You shuddered, thinking about how that could have been you.

 

“We smell horrendous,” you said once the pair of you were away from the maze of tendrils. Sweat had caused your hair to stick to your flesh, the material of your shirt to cling as well. The humidity had decreased a little as the sun set. A little. Not as much as you would have wished though. “You want to share a shower when we get back?”

 

Armitage stepped nearer to you by way of response. There was no refresher on the transport, which meant that you would have to wait until after returning to the  _ Slug Harlot _ to fulfill those plans. What  _ was _ offered by the transport was more safety. It shielded you against the elements of the planet, protected you from some of the predators. Once inside, you adjusted the air temperature to something comfortable that was also not far too different than the outside. Over time, you would make more adjustments so that when you were on the other starship, the cooler air would not be too much of a shock. That would be a fast way to catch a cold.

 

The two of you sprawled out on the ground. You wiggled out of your shirt and bottoms, leaving on your bra and panties. Armitage pulled off his shirt, stretching beside you. He turned over so that he was laying on his side. Staring at you. His hand found your stomach then ventured lower. Right below your navel, he began rubbing slow circles. You closed your eyes. Heat was building once more, yet so was your exhaustion. You would wait until the shower, until the  _ Slug Harlot _ , to give into those urges. Wait until your mind had finished processing everything that had occured on this planet. More importantly, you would wait until you could wash and disinfect your ankle before straddling the man next to you.

 

“Do you think there are others like me?” you asked. A noise of confusion escaped the man. “I was told that I didn’t have latent abilities… How many others would Snoke do that to? To prevent them from rising against him. Even if it would require artifacts to have anything remotely useful in terms of power… What if I had been taught how to use my abilities?” There were goosebumps on your flesh as you spoke, and not from the increased levels of cool air. It never escaped you that Armitage preferred technology to spiritual things like the Force. “Maybe he worried that I would form a deeper bond with the children...that they would be more connected to me. Ren struggles with that, we knew that.”

 

The caresses had ceased while you had been speaking, and he resumed them now that you were done. His hand traced a trail up to your face, allowing him to cup your cheek and turn your head so that the two of you were staring into one another’s eyes.

 

“That is possible. We cannot allow those past possibilities to blind us to the future. Snoke may have overlooked a small spark within you as being inconsequential. To me, you have always been abundant in potential. You have been a bridge in my life between the physical and the mystical. Do not give Snoke the power to shape what you are, what you will become.”

 

A declaration of love that had your heart stuttering, your stomach fluttering, in ways that a simple  _ I love you _ would never have been able to accomplish. His encouragements meant the world to you with how they proved how much he accepted the woman you had become. A part of you remained that officer in training. You were even still learning your limitations. And you were also constantly discovering new parts of yourself that allowed you to overcome them. Your Force sensitivity, no matter how small, did not belong to Snoke. Snoke was nothing to you in the grand scheme of things, nothing more than an object to be removed.

 

“Bu’ay and I can learn from one another,” you said. Armitage’s lips tugged upwards. It was as though you had read his mind. You reached up, holding his hand against your cheek. “Us as well. We have to learn. The galaxy is so much bigger than this war, than these battles.” His adam’s apple bobbed. You could see traces of apprehension in his eyes. His entire life had been with the Empire then the First Order. A constant warzone. “You’re open to the possibilities. I know you are.” He moved closer, his lips sealing against yours in a kiss. You closed your eyes, curling against him and sliding a leg along his thigh. You were practically purring in contentment. “We’re going to succeed.”

 

“Yes,” he said against your lips. “We will.”


	7. Warmth of Familiarity

**Warmth of Familiarity**

 

The biting sting of warm water and soap caressing the puncture wounds had left you in a state of vulnerability. You had shoved a damp washcloth into your mouth to bite down on it in an attempt—one that had succeeded—to muffle your whimpers and swears of pain. Armitage had allowed you to lean against him. The familiarity of his naked body had then served as a comfort, which resulted in you calming. The pain subsided into a discomfort more than anything else. You would apply bacta once you left the shower. Which would not happen immediately. Armitage had cupped one of your breasts whilst his lips found the side of your head. He was being gentle, gauging your reaction. The both of you were still tired from the mission, and you were indeed sore.

 

Not too sore for  _ him  _ however. You turned around in his arms and mouthed his collarbone. The shuddering breath he took urged you to repeat the action. The spray of the water hit along your lower back as you arched against him. Armitage groaned, his hand moving more firmly against your breast, squeezing it and eliciting a gasp. You felt heat pooling in your body. Moving lower as you started to run your hands down the length of his arms. Shifting those wandering limbs to his chest, his sides, hips, around to his ass so that you could tug him closer in unison with pushing your hips forward. His hardening cock slipped between your thighs and caressed your outer lips. You bit on his flesh, teasing the captured portion with your tongue. It was hot, the blood underneath threatening to spill if you increased the pressure, which you did not.

 

One of his hands cupped the back of your neck, holding you in place for when he kissed you hard on the mouth. Armitage drew back and spoke against your lips. Telling you to get on your knees. You snorted. The man quirked a brow, as though questioning if you were going to obey, to play along. Both of you had agreed to treat one another as equals in the bedroom...even if this was the refresher; that being said, you did rather enjoy it when he took charge. You obliged, shifting down onto your knees and staring up at him. Armitage reached past you to adjust the spray so that it did not become any sort of hindrance to your activities. He started to move to touch you, paused, and shut off the water. The fan continued to hum, which would drown out the noise. Some of it at least. Having the water off meant that the owner of the  _ Slug Harlot _ would not barge in complaining about the pair of you wasting resources.

 

“Do you think it was draining your energy?”

 

“Sir, are you wanting to see my eyes glow as I suck your cock?” you asked, working to stay in character. His lips quirked to one side, that delicious smirk rather intoxicating. You found yourself grinning in return. “With the lights off or on?” The noise he made was noncommittal. You had slipped out of the shower stall to grab the brooch from a pouch that you had placed on the counter; you were  _ not _ about to let that out of your presence entirely. The two of you settled to leave the lights on, if nothing else then at least for this time. You looked at Armitage from over your shoulder, trying to be as sultry as you could. “Tell me, General, am I glowing?”

 

He had to jerk his eyes up from your nakedness to check. Your grin widened further. You very much enjoyed how he ogled you, even after you had given him three children. It made you feel very wanted, very loved. Armitage murmured that they were. You nodded, climbed back into the stall with him, and ran your gaze along his hair. Whatever temporary dye he had used, it would last for a while after the pair of you finished your missions here.

 

“Tall, dark, and still handsome,” you said, placing the tips of two fingers on his hip and getting on your knees again. Your other three fingers of that hand were occupied by keeping hold of the artifact. You set the side of your forehead against his inner thigh while running your tongue along his shaft. His eyes traced your every action. You enjoyed how he studied you; in the best of ways, it made you feel like the officer in training who had anticipated her first time with the General. You clenched at the thought of having him inside of you again. With a moan, you took the head of his cock into your mouth. Peeking up through your eyelashes, you couldn’t help but wonder how he felt in regards to your glowing eyes. His expression was one of hunger. Was it because of your body, or the power symbolized by that glow? Perhaps both. You tried to think more about the former; that was one area that you had definitely change with all that had happened.

 

You took him deeper into your mouth. At the same time, you raised your other hand to cup his sac, skimming your thumb along the sensitive flesh. Hux gave a slight shudder then entangled the fingers of his hand into your hair, tugging you forward. You shifted your hand upwards, blocking him from forcing you to take him too deeply. Precum smeared along your tongue. Again did you moan; stroking downwards, you did allow him to maneuver your head again so that the head of his erection drew nearer to the back of your throat. You hollowed out your cheeks, which created a sort of vacuum of increased pressure. Armitage’s legs trembled. He used his other hand to press against the wall of the shower stall so that he would not collapse. The both of you had yet to fully recover from the time on the planet. Both of you were using up the last of your energy, and you were in no way opposed to that.

 

Twisting your wrist, you altered how you touched him. Only the tops of your fingers ghosted along his cock, moving back and forth, up and down, as you started to pull back, fighting against the hand that wanted to keep you in place. Hux once more trembled. His eyes darted to the side, returned to meet your gaze. You could feel yourself starting to smile, a sort of Cheshire grin. Mischievous. You began to draw curly-cues on him. He swore, his nose wrinkling. He wanted to regain control, to become a more vocal dominant. Yet he clearly enjoyed what you were doing.

 

“Again,” he growled. That was a happy-medium for him, one that you greatly approved of. You obeyed without protest. The husky quality of his voice was sending more heat through your body. Your stomach did a sort of swoop, your vaginal walls again clenching around nothing as your mind provided you with the image of him inside of you. Fucking you.

 

Laying down on one of the beds in the room that the two of you were sharing may have been more comfortable, however neither of you wished to be seen in this position. The owner of the  _ Slug Harlot _ could speculate to his heart’s content. Proof was another story.

 

So you endured the discomfort of the floor on your knees as you sucked his cock. You slickened it with your saliva, which allowed your hand to move along the portion that wasn’t in your mouth with ease. Tilted your head to one side caused the head to brush the inside of your cheek. Armitage grunted at the sensation of your teeth skimming his flesh. Nothing painful. His cock twitched, and you tightened your fingers into a ring around the base of his erection. You did not want him to cum, did not wish for this experience to come to an end.

 

Besides, you thought, he still needed to fuck you. You waggled a single digit down his length, teasing his sac, and gently prodded his perineum. The brooch in your hand almost slipped, which forced you to end these actions. Armitage blinked repeatedly, his eyelids fluttering as he stared down at you. Tried to keep your gazes locked. He leaned into the wall more. If he wasn’t careful, he would lock his knees and truly collapse. This thought had you once more grinning. It gave you a sense of power, one that was fueled by the knowledge that you, to even a small extent, could manipulate the Force. The one thing you wanted with it was a deeper connection to your loved ones. Any other power would be but a bonus. That the sight of your modicum of control over the Force via the brooch aroused Armitage, that was perfect. You narrowed your eyes in a teasing expression, a silent urge for him to command you, despite the power that you held he was in control.

 

Armitage breathlessly swore and righted himself, standing straighter. He placed his hands on either side of your head, tilting it back so that only the tip of his cock was between your lips. “I’m going to look into those eyes while I’m inside of you. Your power is my power.” It wasn’t a statement from arrogance. He knew that your wish was for the two of you to work together, even if and when there would be differences in opinion—ultimately you were a team. Your power was his, and his was yours. “Even Snoke cannot stand against us.”

 

_ Not for long _ , you thought, arching your spine. His eyes shifted to your breasts. On his command, you laid on the floor, knees drawn up towards your breasts. Armitage braced his hands on your shins. The man was kneeling in front of you in those crammed walls. His cock prodding your opening without entering you. You mewled in want, biting down on your lip a moment later, unsure if you should silence yourself so that you weren’t overheard. That was strangely thrilling. You felt your nipples hardening at the thought that the owner of the ship might still walk in. It sent your heart racing. Now it was your turn to tremble.

 

He pushed inside of you shallowly. You felt yourself being stretched, wanted more. Yet he did not fulfill this desire, not immediately. The First Order General commanded you to open your eyes. You did, though your eyelids weren’t raised completely. For you, closing your eyes had heightened the sensation. Plus you did find that you were growing tired, that the brooch was robbing you of some of your energy. As if he could sense this, Armitage thrust into you. You moaned in pleasure, murmuring incorrect words of delight. He rocked his hips, moving in and out of you. You stretched one of your legs, your foot flat against the opposite wall. You braced yourself with the hand on the opposite side, preventing your head from hitting the wall when Armitage quickened his pace. You felt the muscles in your leg and arm working. That small discomfort was drowned by the pleasure building inside of you.

 

You swallowed thickly, your jaw dropping open a moment later as you tried to suck in air. He had found your clit with his thumb and toyed with it for a small while. Smirking, Armitage used his middle and index finger of that hand to walk up your stomach to your breasts. He splayed his hands between the two mounds. You whispered out your need for him to touch you. With the hand that was holding the brooch, you started to tease one of your breasts. Hux placed his hand atop its twin. But he did not knead the flesh or pinch the nipple as you had been hoping for.

 

“Please,” you said, drawing one leg around him. Your knee hit against his back while the toes of the other foot flexed to keep contact with the wall. He moved more shallowly, his thrusts short. You wouldn’t be able to cum to this rhythm. It was teasing you, edging you. You consciously tightened the muscles of your vaginal walls in hopes that it would please him. He rocked his hand forward so that its heel met your nipple. “Please, Sir,” you repeated.

 

“Yes, beautiful.” Your cheeks felt impossibly hot at the compliment. Your stomach swam for many reasons—because of his words, because he pulled back almost completely then thrust deeply, and because he traced his hand back to rub the bud on your breast with his middle finger. He pinched down, and your toes curled. This time he did not make you reopen your eyes. He had to know that your control was limited what with your orgasm crashing over you. It was not anything short. You felt as though you were floating, that your soul had been drawn from your body. You felt so  _ light _ and  _ euphoric _ . You were only semi-conscious of him moving in you, that he was seeking his own release. Tears spilled down your cheeks, and it was this sensation that drew you back to the moment.

 

His fingers worked open your hand. Armitage withdrew the brooch from your possession, and there was a new lightness with its absence. You took several deep breaths to allow yourself time to recover. Then rolled onto your stomach; the man had already exited the shower stall. You shifted onto your hands and knees. It did not embarrass you that you crawled out instead of standing. Though he had stepped outside of the refresher to place the brooch in a safe location, Armitage returned to lift you up and carry you to your bed. He sat you on the edge then helped you to dress in semi-comfortable clothes. An inner layer that you would later cover when the  _ Slug Harlot _ arrived at its next destination.

 

You dozed off and on for close to three standard hours. Armitage had acted similarly, opting to use his bed although you had the impression that he would have preferred spooning you. At one point the captain of the  _ Slug Harlot _ had entered to announce that there would be food served in four hours’s time. This was partway into the second hour that you had rested.

 

Now that the pair of you were more awake, you sat on your respective beds and faced one another. Your back was flush with the wall, whereas Hux was on the edge of the mattress. It was the father of your children who broached the subject of other Force sensitives that might exist. Along with Bu’ay, they would be the best chances for overthrowing Snoke and those that were loyal to the current Supreme Leader. The brooch would assist, although the specifics as to how were yet unclear. That was where someone more knowledgeable—Kylo, you knew—would play a pivotal role.

 

There could be no further delay in contacting the Bu’ay. Armitage suggested that you practice meditation, attempt to reach out with the Force while he accomplished this task. You feared that doing so would alert Snoke to your newly discovered abilities, small as they were. The Supreme Leader would not rule them out as inconsequential; he had your children, and he would know that you would be aiming to have them returned to you. Snoke would make it look like some accident, but he  _ would _ see that you were killed. Not training yourself likely yielded an identical result.

 

You huffed out a sigh. Until Bu’ay was contacted, you would not be able to relax. You wanted to hear from her first. Although he frowned when you told him this, Armitage did not argue with you. There was a limited amount of time to get many pieces in order. Multitasking would eventually become a necessity. That time was not now.

 

General Hux used an encrypted device to contact one of Bu’ay’s trusted guards, who then moved the ruler into a secured location. She listened, silent, as Armitage told her of what had occurred. He did not spare the detail regarding the triplets being taken by Supreme Leader Snoke. Her upper lip curled into a snarl. This was a touchy subject for her.

 

“He clearly plans to control any who have potential. Or else eliminate them. See that they remain untrained.” There was a long pause. “I would not be safe for very much longer. The moment he felt I became disloyal, or could spread a falsehood. My abilities are infantile in comparison, however they are indeed more developed than many others. This war will come sooner than I had hoped it would. I will begin making preparations. Do you require assistance in obtaining more artifacts? I can spare Ov’niain.”

 

“It would be beneficial. The artifacts intended for your use would be given to him immediately for transportation. It protects us from further communications that could be intercepted.”

 

“Very well. Send the coordinates for where you require his presence. I, too, have a gift for you that will help us.” For this latter portion, she had turned to look your way. You fought to keep your facial features under your control. You nodded although confusion and curiosity had both filled you. “Children are our future. Snoke will not be allowed to control them or their fates.”

 

This was one of the reasons that you trusted the woman, that you valued her as an ally. There were ways in which the both of you were quite similar. Now that you had discovered your latent abilities in the Force, those similarities had risen in number. And due to the xenophobia that was rampant in the First Order, a flaw stemming from the fallen Empire and one that you had unfortunately fallen victim to in the past, there were many that would underestimate her. She was humanoid, true. But those who knew her blood would view her as inferior. That would be their undoing. You glanced at Armitage; that he might harbor that same prejudice did worry you. Time would change that, you promised, and so would you.

 

Armitage and Bu’ay spoke for longer, however you had broken away from them to sit comfortably on your bed and meditate. You would never be capable of fully relaxing until you were reunited with your children, however right then you found that you could focus on exploring this new side to yourself. The idea that you could eventually reach out with the Force to sense your children gave you more hope. It was prudent to not try to rush your progress and accept your current limitations. But Maker did you wish that things were easier on that front.

 

You focused on your surroundings as you closed your eyes and reached out. There was an emptiness. You did not know if this was you failing, or if starships felt that way through the Force. Or maybe that void was the absence of your children. Did the Force work in that way? The connections that were made between a parent and their child, their children… That existed beyond the Force, yet the Force would strengthen that, wouldn’t it? You felt incomplete without Maigyn, Bosileon, and Rae.

 

This made you think of Kylo Ren’s promise that he would teach your children to reach out for you. It was doable. You would have to teach yourself, and so you needed to focus on something smaller. Something...someone nearer to you.

 

_ Armitage _ , you thought, keeping your eyes closed. You thought of him in a physical sense then of his mind. Of the way you could feel his presence in the way that any untrained individual could.  You focused on this. Let it cloud your mind for several seconds then relinquished that hold. Again extended yourself beyond the familiar to your surroundings. Felt that emptiness return, strong. And in that emptiness there were dots of  _ something _ . Warmth. Not only Armitage but the captain as well. Life. The emptiness and life were connected with one another. They existed  _ together _ rather than standing out as opposing forces. Some might have claimed that it was gravity that bound it all together. For you, it was something else.

 

You grasped onto that warmth, those two signs in particular. One felt brighter, hotter than the other. Familiar. If you had to put a name to it, it was comfort or love or...Armitage. His presence left you feeling so full in the best of ways. It tugged at you on a powerful level, at your heart, your soul.

 

You quickly pulled yourself out of your mind, out of the Force. Reopening your eyes, you found yourself meeting his gaze. He had been watching you.

 

“You’re crying.”

 

“They’re not bad tears,” you said, not feeling weak in the least despite these displays of emotion. It was so different than what you had expected. You had thought there would be pain and hurt. Was that the difference between the Dark and the Light? And if it was Light...would that disappoint Kylo Ren? Would it change whether or not you were able to connect with your children?

 

But you loved that warmth. You did not want to lose it.


	8. Prelude to a Reunion

Prelude to a Reunion

 

The  _ Slug Harlot _ made planetfall, although its captain had been hesitant upon seeing that there was another starship present. The transport shuttle proved to carry not only Ov’niain but another individual, this one armored in black. Ov’niain was dressed down in comfortable yet also practical clothing. He had his weapons on display. Some of them at least. For all you knew, the humanoid could have plenty of concealed weapons just as both you and Armitage did. He and the other knew to address Hux as Toumas. Ov’niain did so, gesturing for the man to walk aside with him. What they had to discuss, you did not know. Nor were you yet aware of what gift Bu’ay had been referring to. That did not concern you in that moment. You were more preoccupied with the armored individual who had arrived as well. It was one of Kylo’s Knights of Ren. You did not recall ever having met this particular warrior, however that was not to say he, or she, was a complete stranger.

 

You spared a glance over your shoulder to look up the ramp to the  _ Slug Harlot _ . Its owner lingered only just out of earshot. He turned his back to you upon noticing that your eyes were on him. As you turned back to the Knight, you found that the warrior had moved closer to you. Your heart seemed to hammer in your chest. It took you a moment to realize that you were preparing yourself for bad news. Instead of fulfilling those expectations, the Knight said in a passive tone that  _ Master Ren _ had sent him to assist you. A smile tugged at your lips. Kylo would know just how devastating the distance between you and your children was. In many ways, it was something that he knew, that caused him so much turmoil. The difference was that he had chosen to leave. Your children, on the other hand, had been stolen from you.

 

“Have you been on this sort of mission before?” you asked before you could stop yourself. You did not wish to come off as rude nor too nosey. What the Knights of Ren did, aside from supporting the First Order and Snoke, it remained much a mystery. The Knight grunted in affirmation. You gathered that the Knight was male. He turned his head to consider Armitage. Currently it was the First Order General who was in possession of the brooch. You wondered if the Knight could sense it. “Were you able to see them?”

 

“Yes.” The visor was turned to you again. “Snoke could sense their strength in the Force.” A reason he would have taken them from you. “And yours.” Perhaps your pregnancy and motherhood had triggered your latent abilities in the Force. Snoke would want to eliminate that bond so that the triplets were loyal to him. It was an obstacle that he likely faced with his greatest warrior; Kylo Ren had left his parents, but did that mean he did not care at all for them? You didn’t believe it, not for one second. “I will guide you so that the connection can be made. Master Ren is working with them from his side.” It felt as though a terrible burden had been lifted off of your shoulders. You did not have to be alone in this.

 

He started to walk in the direction that Ov'niain and Hux were standing; they were both prepped and ready to venture forth. You bent towards the side in order to lift a knapsack off the ground. The strap rested on your shoulder after you slung it over your neck. You had an inkling that whatever Bu'ay had sent with Ov'niain, he would give it to you after your small group was away from the  _ Slug Harlot _ and its owner. Thus you made no comment in regards to it even once you were side-by-side with the humanoid. The disguised General Hux addressed the Knight of Ren curtly by name: Zephroth. It rolled off the tongue in its own way, you thought.

 

Ov'niain slipped his hand along yours after the four of you had been walking for near a standard hour. You felt the weight of a small object. Thumbed it to realize it was a datachip. The humanoid alien said softly that it was a scrambler that would allow you a one-time direct access to private files from Bu'ay. You did not know what those files contained, and you knew better than to ask. There was a reason that you were given the chip instead of Armitage or Zephroth. A reason that you did not know, but would once you did read those files.

 

The current mission was easier in many respects, one major area being that you were not constantly waiting to be double-crossed. On top of that, it became clearer to you that Zephroth was plenty capable of sensing things in the Force. With the Force? You would have to ask later, if there was a difference. The dark armor sometimes had you forgetting that it wasn’t Kylo standing next to you. Then you would remember that he was with your babies. You felt your stomach clench. Reminded yourself that it would happen  _ soon _ . You would be reunited with them.

 

By the end of the mission, it had been determined that there was no holocron nor artifact. Nothing. Two dislocated fingers—which were, thankfully, easily popped back into place though still bruised and tender—for nothing.

 

_ Not nothing _ , you chastised yourself, recalling how Zephroth had inquired on four occasions if  _ you _ felt something. He had you reaching out with your senses. Feeling things in the Force. It was draining in its own way. Being intuitive in the Force did have many advantages. The more you listened to that inner voice you had subconsciously quieted in the past, the quicker your reflexes were. You did not believe that you would become a Force warrior or anything of the sort. But you would  _ not _ let your abilities fade away into nothing.

 

Between missions, the Knight of Ren managed to make contact with Kylo Ren. It was nothing that Supreme Leader Snoke would forbid, not with Kylo being the  _ Master _ of the Knights of Ren. That would look too suspicious. Armitage and you tensed every time the shaky transmission garbled further with static. The image would cut in and out. Warble. Kylo did not address either of you, though he did pick up your children one by one.

 

Rae had taken to sucking her thumb, a habit that Kylo Ren dissuaded her from by gender encircling her wrist with one hand and tapping the back of her hand with two fingers. She would then withdraw the digit and wrap her hand around those two fingers. Holding them. Trying to pull them towards her mouth while also leaning forward, craning her neck with in the attempt. You were shaking as you watched her. Maker, you wanted to speak. To address her. She kept looking at you, at Armitage. Something in Kylo Ren’s gaze, when he did glance at you, told you to not. Snoke would be watching somehow.

 

“You should be finished in nine standard days, correct?” Your heart leapt. Eyes darted to the Knight of Ren currently with you. The helmeted head bobbed in a nod. “Thirteen until you return.” So soon? It felt like a lifetime, albeit much shorter than you had been worried about.

 

Kylo Ren returned Rae to a play mat. You did not fail to notice that she immediately waved both of her hands, causing the stuffed nerf and a teething toy to hover off the ground. It nearly took your breath away. When the dark-haired man returned to his pervious position, in his arms was Bosileon. Your knees started to buckle at the sight of your son. Beside you, Armitage began to step forward before he could catch himself.

 

Bosileon did not make a single peep...until Kylo started to speak again to Zephroth. The Force user frowned, set his hand gently over your son’s mouth without smothering him, and spoke over the muffled sounds Bosileon continued to make. Armitage was not oblivious to the look you shot him, the one that said  _ yup, that’s your son _ . It made your heart soar, that both of you could watch him together, could share this moment despite the distance. Even when the transmission warbled for a second. It did not cut out completely, for which you were grateful. Bosileon had decided he was done talking, though that may have been due to the fact that Kylo had also quieted. Kylo dropped his hand away from your child’s mouth. There was a line of dribble running down your son’s chin, which you suspected meant that there was some on the man’s glove. As Kylo Ren opened his mouth to speak again, Bosileon squealed in delight then started babbling. He kicked his legs excitedly.

 

“Deh deh ggggg...eee!” Ren turned him around, cuddling your son against his chest. You furrowed your brow then noticed the next moment that the transmission grew clearer. It had you wondering just what powers your triplets held. You wanted to be there as they developed them, as they learned to harness them. You  _ would _ be there. Soon.

 

Time was not on your side. It was why you did not object when Kylo placed Bosileon near Rae on the mat. He returned with Maigyn, who was content to rest her head on his shoulder and reach towards the device, where you knew that she could see both you and Armitage. You did not hold back here. You reached forward, waving at her. Maigyn smiled. Zepthroth and Kylo were wrapping up their conversation, outlining the course of actions that would be taken when it was time to go to Snoke. You watched Maigyn the entire time they spoke. She was so focused on you, and you did not know if it was your imagination or not, but it seemed as though you could  _ feel _ her through the Force. Your eyes shifted between each of your children. Attention branching out. Feeling a warmth.

 

You swayed in place, caught by both Zephroth and Armitage before you could pitch over. “The distance is great…You’re overexerting yourself. Much too soon.” The Knight of Ren’s words took you time to process. They were so heavy in their meaning. You could not just reach out whenever you wanted, and you were in doubt as to whether or not that would change once you did learn to better control your abilities.

 

Ov’niain sat near whenever Zepthroth had you train. It was not intrusive, and you reminded yourself that he had likely witnessed Bu’ay in similar acts. He served as a lookout. The owner of the  _ Slug Harlot _ needed to remain oblivious to your abilities. People were known to sell out Force sensitives. Handing over information. Names. Dates. Locations. Anything and everything. You had to be careful.

 

Armitage and you shared a bed, while Zephroth took the one that Armitage had previously occupied. Ov’niain managed to make arrangements with the owner of the  _ Slug Harlot _ for different quarters. ‘Toumas’ intrigued the captain. This meant that when you were on ship, the faux-brunette was with him. That in turn meant that he was not with you, not during your training. You often stretched out to feel him. He was so easy for you to locate, especially now that Zephroth was guiding you.

 

The difficulty arose when you were injured on the second-to-last mission. It was nothing life threatening, however the cut to your leg had inspired Armitage to pull rank. This time you could not say that you  _ completely _ blamed him. Zephroth had already been eyeing you through his mask. You could read the Knight’s mood well enough since you were training with him. He thought you would become a liability. Ov’niain volunteered to remain behind with you. This you had not been in agreement with. The unknown threats and traps, added to the fact that there was again a third party to be met with—you wanted Armitage to have as many allies around as he could. Yet he did not trust the  _ Slug Harlot’s _ owner, and neither did you. The more that you learned how to sense things through the Force, the more you felt that the captain was hiding something. It could be nothing, could be irrelevant to you and these missions. That wasn’t a chance any of you could take.

 

While Zephroth and Armitage were offship, you focused on healing, resting...stretching out with the Force to try to feel your children. Instead you encountered something dark, something you could not move past. Like a durasteel wall. Your strength was instantly sapped. Snapping open your eyes, you found that you were panting and covered in sweat. Ov’niain stood over you. His hands were only a fraction of a foot away. Now that your eyes were open, he dropped them to his sides. His expression was one of concern.

 

You did not answer the questions that were dancing in his eyes. Digging the heels of your hands against your eyes, you worked to level your breathing. That darkness had always been on the peripheral of the handful of times you had sensed your children through the Force. Zephroth had been there to guide you on those occasions, to lend his own power. You did not have the strength alone to handle such a feat. It was foolish, you told yourself, to have attempted it at all, much less in this weakened state. But that darkness… You wanted to say that it was Snoke. Still, you had to leave yourself open to the possibility that it was something or someone else.

 

You were asleep when the two returned from the mission. It was not until the  _ Slug Harlot _ was in hyperspace that you awoke to find Armitage sitting on the other bed, studying you. Zepthroth was also in the room. The Knight of Ren had a rather large pouch. Inside? A holocron.

 

Of  _ course _ the holocron was located when you were not there.

 

That wasn’t you exactly complaining. More than anything, you were relieved. The few artifacts that you had acquired were in Ov’niain’s possession. The warrior would be returning to Bu’ay. Meanwhile Zephroth held onto the holocron by orders of Snoke. He looked at you when he said those words. Maker, it would have been easier to discover any hidden meaning if he wasn’t wearing that blasted mask.

 

Even after Ov’niain had departed and the  _ Slug Harlot _ arrived on a neutral territory, Armitage did not reveal his true identity. Not even the First Order officers treated him with the respect that they would have if they recognized him. A handful of the officers did spare a second glance, clearly trying to place his face. They became quickly distracted by the presence of the Knight. Zephroth had informed you, after the three of you were on a transport, that Supreme Leader Snoke wanted you brought before him.

 

“To congratulate you on passing this test.”

 

“Test?” you snapped, balling your hands into fists. The Knight nodded. He gestured to you with a hand. Told you that, according to the Supreme Leader, he had wanted to see if extreme anger and emotional turmoil would awaken your powers.

 

_ Bitch, please. You’re just taking advantage of what happened when you took my children from me. You didn’t plan this. _

 

Your upper lip had curled into a snarl. Armitage scoffed. He was in the process of removing the disguise, pinching the locks of dyed hair with his fingers. Your children had looked at him, yes, but it still remained unclear if they had truly recognized him. They were so young.

 

“Do not show all your cards.” The Knight’s words had you forcing yourself to relax your features. He was right. Although you were mentally prepared to face Snoke, the man had powers beyond what you could handle. All of you had to work together. Not only to defeat Snoke himself, but those who would follow him after death, who would aim to avenge his murder.

 

Zephroth touched a hand to the pouch containing the holocron. This would add to the Supreme Leader’s powers. It was, unfortunately, your ticket back to your children. You hated playing this game where Snoke was in control. Not that you hadn’t been playing it your entire career. An officer in training… You had foolishly held General Hux high on a pedestal where not even the Supreme Leader could touch him. That had not been the reality of things. Maker, were you really so naive? 

 

_ Know your limits, _ you thought to yourself.  _ Trust in the Force. Trust in myself. Kriff, I refused to give Hux a sweet muffin recipe. Stubborn, blinding myself to how everything can be a test, how they’re always watching. _

 

You forced yourself to calm. It was easier this time, now that you had put things into perspective.

 

Instead of exploring the areas that had been rumored to hold holocrons, your small group had visited several nearby areas. It was how more artifacts had been uncovered. Ov’niain, after his arrival, had brought up the valid point that it would not necessarily be wise for you to give the brooch to him. It was something that Bu’ay had considered prior to sending him. She had voiced those concerns. Her worries that Supreme Leader Snoke would discover every bit of the plan if the artifact that had first triggered your awareness of your abilities was not there when you stood before him. All of the other pieces? Those  _ had _ left with Ov’niain.

 

You puffed up your cheeks. Bounced your leg nervously while looking over at the pilot of the transport shuttle. You could hardly wait for the starship to land...or was Snoke on the  _ Supremacy _ ? You had never bothered to keep track of his location in the past. Partly due to you not having the appropriate clearance level to know such a thing. Still, you had your suspicion that he was on a planet. The  _ Supremacy _ was the main base. Mobile. Fully armed. A whole fleet of ships inside of it. But there were some training exercises he conducted on planet.

 

Or maybe it was more that you were hoping very strongly that your children were not on a warship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to split up the outline at this point due to it flowing better (scene jump). This next chapter will be the final in the first story arc of this fic. I'm very much looking forward to writing what comes next, and I'm hoping that you're all still enjoying the series.


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